LOVE OF TWO IS ONE
by Siha Krios
Summary: from recuiting Thane to end game, smut and love triangle with Garrus, Shepard and Thane. Is Shepard the rekindling of Irika?
1. Recruiting Thane Krios

Shepard sat in her black and white leather box chair wedged between her desk and dresser. The orangy glow from the data pad of dossiers she was reading illuminated her face. The scars from the Frankenstein number Cerberus had done on her were healing nicely due to the treatments she was recieving in the med bay. They were heading to Illois for the Asari Justicar and the Drell assassin. She was equally curious about both of the potential new crew members. The Drell was especially intriguing. She had never seen anyone of that species and was looking forward to meeting him. The dossier didn't provide much more than a head shot and a description of his qualifications, age and so on. The Drell were a reptilian race. The assissn was almost forty, in human years, which was approximately middle aged for his kind. She was still in her (late) twenties, though didn't seem to prevent him from appealing to her aesthetically. She shook her head and laid the data pads to rest on the desk. She obviously wasn't getting enough sleep. She was having day dreams about potential alien crew members.

Shepard walked up the few steps by the mostly empty fish tank to the larger desk. She picked up the picture of Liara and wondered what the Asari was doing. She missed her. From Shepard's point-of-view it had only been a month or so. For Liara it had been over 2 years. She sighed as she placed the picture back on the desk next to her awards and achievements. The irony some might find in placing Lira's picture there did not escape her humor. Shepard knew the young' scientist she had ordered to the escape pods had probably moved on, if not to someone else, to her work. The Illusive Man had said she was on Illium and working for the Shadow Broker. Shepard didn't believe that could be accurate. Then again, she herself was an 'investment' and operating on the credits of Cerberus. Anything could be possible. The growing nervous knot in her stomach tightened before EDI interrupted the commanders thoughts with the ETA to Illium.

"One hour until docking with Nos Astra, Commander." EDI's simulated inflections always managed to remind Shepard of her 'mother'.

'Mother' was the House Mistress of the building she lived in as a child with several other street orphans. She had asked M'ma about her biological parents when she turned 16. The woman had said to have found her in an alley crying inside an empty refrigerator box when she was around 2 or 3 years old. Shepard had gone to libraries to pour over old news pappers and tried to work with the local police for any information she could find. She even used Alliance resources after joining to find the smallest clue about her parents to no avail. It used to bring tears raining down in whatever private space she could find on Mother's and Father's Days. Now there was only a faint ache of the scar it had left on her. She was in space after all and had yet to find that magic wishing star that could fix anything with an earnest request. There was no use pining for something that was too late in coming. M'ma had been the best 'mother' she could be, given the circumstances. She had given her food, shelter, and clothes when she was a child. She'd helped her find ways to have an income when she was older without becoming undignified. "Don't give away lightly what you can only give once," she would tell all the young girls. It made Shepard smile to think of it now.

She had been just as nervous as Liara on that special night. She didn't tell her, but it was also her first time... sort of. She wasn't sure if it really counted with them both being 'female', as Liara had classified all Asari for her understanding. She supposed that, technically, she was still a virgin waiting for her 'Prince Charming' to sweep her off her feet should her Asari lover no longer be interested.

Shepard quickly undressed herself, neatly folding her civies into a drawer of the dresser. She washed away her straying thoughts in the shower before donning her layers of basics, under weave and hard suit. Her hair was still damp when she put it up in a giant bun on top her her head and locked the visor in place. She headed to the docking doors.

_On Nos Astra;_

Thane made his way towards the shipping office taking each stride with a kind of causal purpose. The shipping floor was mostly empty with a few small groups of aliens conversing with each other. One Salarian stood at the foot of the stairs having a seemingly very worried discussion on his communication device. Thane made his way to the far end of the space and stood silently in front of the large window by the offices. There he waited patiently for his contact to meet with him. The sun had begun it's descent on the horizon. He poised his hands in prayer to Amonkira as he always did before a job. The setting sun diffused through the clouds, coloring them in rich hues of lavender and mauve. It reminded him of...

"Are you ready to go, Krios?" Seryna's voice saved him from the memory.

Thane focused on his Asari contact standing a few feet from her desk waiting for him.

"I was praying to Amonkira for a successful hunt." He explained.

"I hope your prayers are heard!" Seryna replaied. A smile spread over her features openinly displaying her disdain for his target.

Thane gave a slight nod to her over his shoulder. He hesitated, looking to the Dantius Towers for a moment.

"Krios?" Seryna asked.

Thane could hear the slight annoyance in her voice. "Let's go."

They walked together in silence to the taxi Seryna had waiting for them. Thane noted every access and exit point without even thinking. He hardly noticed it himself. Such things were almost as second nature as most would find breathing.

The doors on the taxi hissed as they opened. Each took their seats and waited for the doors to hiss closed again before speaking.

"She's been expecting trouble lately." Seryna said matter-of-factly as she programmed the coordinates into the autopilot.

"She will not know I am coming." Thane replied as he once more clasped his hands and bowed his head, closing his eyes to pray.

Seryna watched him for a moment hiding her surprise and curiosity of this spiritual assassin. The taxi swung into the flow of traffic speeding off towards the towers. She returned her attention to the controls and traffic outside the heavily tented windows. It was only a few moments before the taxi pulled out of the stream line to circle around the towers. The landing gear extended and the thrusters flared as the taxi slowed, approaching the lading pad between the Dantius Towers, one of which was still under construction. Thane opened his eyes and secured his weapons.

"Good hunting." Seryna said, as the taxi settled onto the landing pad.

Thane paused and dipped his head to her in thanks as he exited the transport. His features were locked in seriousness, preparing for his final hit.

"Put one in her for me, Krios." Seryna said with a smirk.

Thane looked up at the unfinished building before turning to Seryna.

"Thank you again, Seryna," Thane paused for a moment, "I appreciate your assistance in this matter."

He finished climbing out of the transport and began walking towards the tower knowing he was likely walking towards his own end. The thought did nothing to change his resolve. He was going to kill Nassana Dantius. He would remove another evil from the galaxy and perhaps improve it by doing so.

_Dantius Towers;_

Eclipse mercs. He could get past them easily. Gun fire. His heart jumped, but only once. He stayed himself, holding his position in perfect silence. No, not for him. The shots were further behind him, he had not been discovered. Shouting, the boom of a biotic shock wave exploding across the floor. Was there someone else here for Nassana? He must move faster. The noise of the others could be useful in hiding his own sounds of quickened progress. He moved hurriedly into the next ventilation shaft. There was a large fan ahead facing the ground, likely a dead drop beneath it. He must find a way around.

"Did you hear something?"

The radio filtered question echoed in the shafts. Mercs. Thane mentally cursed himself for his carelessness in his haste. Eclipse were near his position. Were they were aware of his presence or did they believe him part of the more destructive party advancing through the tower?

"Hey - I think he went in here." A male voice near the access vent ahead of him.

"Well, go get him." A female voice snapped back.

"You go." Defiance.

"Get your ass in there. Nassana's not paying to stand around." Clearly the female was the ranking member.

"Fine... but I..."

The shaft access vent was removed and a tentative rifle muzzle poked into the darkness. Thane drove forward. The male was human, the female asari. The Trooper met his end at the bottom of the dead drop. The Vanguard found the embrace of the goddess in the darkness of the ventilation shaft, her spine severed at the base of her skull. They did not last more than a few seconds against the drell in his battle sleep. His body was well trained. More gun fire directly below him. The other party was moving fast he must not let them past him.

Thane Krios was nimble and silent as he made his way through the ventilation system. He was unsure how many floors he had scaled but he had not yet reached his goal. That was all that mattered, and now he had competition. He heard gunfire and screaming from the floor he was on and decided to peak through a grate.

Salarian workers were being executed as they ran from LOKI mechs with submachine guns. He had been presented with another opportunity to redeem himself, even along his present task. Amonkira be praised. He would disable the mechs and secure the Salarian safely in the nearby supply closet. He must move quickly.

"Have you seen the assassin?"

A female voice was asking the merc about him. Were the loud ones after _him_ and not Nassana? He must complete his task before that question could be allowed an answer. Moving faster now his breathing came with more difficulty. He pushed on. The next area was a warehouse floor. There was only one Eclipse here. The merc had found some Salarians hiding in a small empty office and was holding them at gun-point, shouting. Thane eased his sniper rifle through a grate, lined up the shot and fired...

The merc's head explodes...

One of the Salarians picks up the merc's pistol...

_Penthouse;_

The assassin attained his goal at the end of the vent shaft that hung directly above the office where she paced between her commandos. He could hear loud explosions in the direction of the bridge. They were close. He was impressed by their ability to keep on his heels while facing fortified opposition. Thane was preparing to drop down the vent when the door burst open. He froze. No! He had not been quick enough. He whispered an internal curse and watched from the darkness of the ventilation shaft. He wanted to know who these people were and what they wanted. The drell thought his target seemed surprised.

Nassana turned towards the door, away from viewing the slow setting sun of what was possibly her last day in this existence. Three well armed aliens walked through the door, weapons at the ready.

"Shepard? But... your dead." Nassana said this as if she were commanding Shepard to return to the afterlife as her guards raised and armed their weapons against the intruders.

"Shepard?" Thane thought, tense with growing anxiety. Commander Shepard of the Alliance had died. As much as the council had tried to divert attention from the fact, few did not learn of the first human Specter's demise. He couldn't see her from his position, so he just listened.

"I got better." The same female voice that had asked about him earlier, presumably Shepard.

"And now you're here to kill _me_." Nassana Dantius said sarcastically, placing a hand dramatically on her chest.

"You really are paranoid, aren't you?" Shepard feined concern.

"Don't patronize me, Shepard." Nassana warned, waveing a hand then walked back to the window.

"Charming as ever." Shepard shot back.

It was clear to the Drell that they were at least acquainted at some point in the past.

Nassana scoffed; "I'm sure you find this all very ironic. First you take care of my sister and now you're here for me."

The assassin sat quietly, now even more curious of this Shepard.

"Well, you made it this far. Now what?" Nassana continued. She faced her killers again, her eyes narrowed at Shepard.

"You _really_ think I'm here to kill you?" Shepard asked.

"Do you have _another _reason for destroying my tower? Decimate my forces?" Nassana seethed.

"I'm just looking for someone." Thane closed his eyes for a moment. Now he knew they were indeed here for him and not Dantius. He opened his eyes.

"You expect me to believe that?" Nassana asked. She was clearly becoming annoyed and even desperate, "Is it credits? Is that what you want? Just tell me your price. We can make this problem go away." Nassana said as she regained her poise, confidence returning to her voice in the security of her wealth.

It was time to move.

There was a rumbling over head in the vents. Shepard looked up and then back to the Asari crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight. The assassin was going to strike. This should be a good show.

"All the credits in the world won't make _this _problem go away, Nassana." Shepard mused.

Nassana was angry now. She walked toward Shepard. Her money meant nothing to this woman. Now it was down to the wire and she had nothing to offer.

"Who the hell gave you the right to play god? I may not be perfect, but look at _you_! We both kill people for money. What's the difference?" She turned away shaking her head slightly, sounding spiteful and some how sad.

"You kill people because you think they're beneath you, they're in your way. I kill people when they leave me no other choice." Shepard retorted.

Shepard was indignant now. The inflection of her voice reminded Thane of... No, he had to stay focused. He pushed the memory away. He removed his sniper rifle and left it on the shaft floor. He would not need it. He could retrieve it later... if there was a later.

There was another rumbling sound in the ceiling. One of the mercs pointed the muzzle of his gun up an air shaft. The others swept the room with their scopes.

"You have a choice. You don't have to do this," Nassana spoke softly. She sounded hopeful and confident once more,"I can tell you..."

One of the mercs tapped her arm,

"What?" The Asari snapped angrily at the Eclipse commando.

"I heard something..."

"Damn it..." Nassana swore leaning both hands on the console in front of her and pushed off, "Check the other entrances." She commaned pointing the commando to the right and then at Shepard. Now she was loosing her grip on her temper. "You stay put. When I'm finished dealing with this nuance, you and I are going to ... Who...?"

While Nassana was speaking to Shepard a figure dropped out of one of the air shafts behind the furthest merc behind her, effectively snapping his neck before the merc could cry out. Without so much as a blink he jabbed the next merc in the throat internally rupturing his wind pipe, catching the merc's weapon as it fell from his grip. The Asari sent to check the entrances ran up to him pulling up her weapon to shoot. He was faster. Using the gun from the throat punch victim, he shot the commado in the heart. Dropping the used merc's gun, he caught Nassana's pistol in mid air when she dropped it, surprised when she'd turned to see what was happening behind her. He caught her by the neck as he forced the barrel into her ribs.

His movements were quick, precise and graceful. It was a beautiful dance of death and he was the reaper. Nassana was forced to lean over the gun now pressed firmly into her abdomen. She looked up to the face of her attacker, stuned and afraid in her last moments of life. The assassin's hand had slipped from the back of her neck to the area between her shoulder blades. As she stood to defy him he pulled the trigger. Her face cringed as the shot, muffle by her body, promised her death . The assassin cradled her to him. His features were now serene, resting her cheek on his shoulder as if embracing her before he lay her on the console. He positioned her hands over the fatal wound.

Nassana watched him as she lay dieing. She found his face and her gaze did not falter as she heard her own voice fade away. His expression did not change as he carefully laid her across her desk and folded her arms over her mortality. It was done.

Shepard let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The drell was as sexy and he was lethal. She felt a warmth in her face. She hoped to god no one noticed the light flush in her cheeks, or that they would relate it to the battle.

Thane took no notice of the ones who had come for him. He stepped back, lowered his head and poised his hands in front of him. He began to pray.

"Impressive. You certainly know how to make an entrance." Garrus still had his weapon trained on the Drell, but that didn't mean he couldn't be inspired.

Shepard took a few steps toward the assassin.

"I was hoping to talk to you." Shepard stated. She felt guilty for interrupting his prayer. It seamed rude, but there was precious little time for politeness.

Thane glanced up at Shepard briefly and answered softly, "I apologize, but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken." He shook his head lightly.

"Do you really think she deserves it?" Shepard asked him. He looked up at her, his brow softly knitted for a moment.

"Not for her. For me." His face took on a sad look and almost hopeful that she would understand. "The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone."

Thane traced his hand along the edge of the console remembering the gun fire and explosions, the boom of biotic rumbling through the walls, the mercs he'd killed in the vent shaft by the large fan. He walked around the console toward her.

"Take you, for instance. All this destruction…chaos." He waved a hand in the air. Shepard glanced at the dead Asari on the console. "I was curious to see how far you'd go to find me." He said walking towards her slowly. "Well…here I am." Thane narrowed his eyes at her, waiting to see what she would do, if she would falter. Now that he'd had time to look at her, he found it difficult to scold her. Why should he feel that way? he wondered.

"I do want to talk to you, but how did you know I was here?" Shepard asked.

Thane could see the curiosity in her eyes. He walked forward, towards the door, looking away from her.

"I didn't. Not until you marched in the front door and started shooting. Gunfire and explosions, I prefer to work quietly. If I have to fight my way through guards I've made a mistake. I rarely make mistakes." Thane said, clasping his hands behind his back. Proud. Established.

He stood in front of Garrus' muzzle now, as if daring him to shoot. Garrus held steady.

"Nassana had become paranoid. You saw the strength of her guard force. She believed one of her sisters would kill her." He stated looking back at Shepard over his shoulder. "You were a valuable distraction."

Shepard nodded to Garrus and Jack to put away their guns.

"Let's cut to the chase. I need you for a mission." She said crossing her arms.

"Indeed?"

"You're familiar with the Collectors?" She asked, as he turned to face her.

"By reputation."

"They're abducting entire human colonies. Freedom's Progress was their handiwork." She said.

Thane lowered his head a bit, "I see."

"We're going after them." Shepard stated flatly. The assassin turned sharply to look at her, surprised.

"Attacking the Collectors would require passing through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so."

Shepard seemed undaunted. She uncrossed her arms.

"They told me it was impossible to get to Ilos, too." She quipped.

"A fair point. You've built a career on performing the impossible."

Shepard was silently surprised he knew so much about her. Thane turned away to look out the window of the office.

"This was to be my last job." He told her. He closed his large black eyes for a moment. "I'm dying." He confessed, nodding his head slightly in her direction in almost a shrug.

"I hadn't heard that... Is there-anything I can do?" Shepard asked quietly.

"Giving me this opportunity is enough." Thane replied. He paused before continueing, "Low survival odds don't concern me." He looked to her then back to the window. "The abduction of your colonists does."

"Not to sound ungrateful, but why does the abduction of human colonists bother you?"

"Because they are innocent. The universe is a dark place, I'm trying to make it brighter before I die." Thane reflected briefly. "Many innocents died today. I wasn't fast enough and they suffered, I must atone for that." He turned back toward this human female who nearly beat him to his target. "I will work for you Shepard. No charge." He stated this as though it was in question. He couldn't help but notice how the descending sun shone on her freckled face, lighting up her eyes with fire. Perhaps the gods had indeed intervened. Praise Amonkira! The Goddess Arashu be praised!

Shepard took his hand shake as the unwritten sighing of the 'contract'. She smiled, briefly, amused at him as she shifted her weight to her back leg and crossed her arms again. She had a suble realization she had a habit of taking the street thug stance. It was something you learn living around gangs on Earth. Habits are tough to break.


	2. On Board

Shepard and Jacob were already waiting in the com room when Thane appeared through the sliding doors. His strides were long and confident, his features blank and professional. He stopped two feet from the foot of the oblong console table that filled the room. A large, orange glowing image of the Normandy floated in the center of the table. Straitening his posture and locking his hand behind his back, Thane looked first to Shepard then Jacob. Shepard thought he looked rather dignified.

"I've heard impressive stories, Krios. Sounds like you'll be an asset to the team…" Jacob began. "That is, if you're comfortable with an assassin watching your back." Jacob remarked looking pointedly to Shepard.

"I've accepted a contract." Thane explained, "My arm is Shepard's." He nodded to the Commander as he spoke. The words came as if he'd responded to this comment many times from many others questioning the choice of their superior to hire him.

"Uh-hu." Jacob scoffed, "Don't know about _you_, but I'm loyal to more than my next _paycheck_." Jacob crossed his arms defiantly. Shepard did all she could to not laugh at him for his chest beating.

"Obviously he is, too. He's doing this mission gratis." Shepard informed him. "What's your concern?"

Shepard let her arms hang loose by her side as she shifted her weight toward Jacob giving him 'the look'. Jacob tried to loosen up, but it wasn't going to happen.

"I don't like mercenaries. An assassin is just a precise mercenary." Jacob objected.

Thane abruptly interjected, "An assassin is a weapon. A weapon doesn't choose to kill. The one who wields it does." He paused for a moment before asking, "Where shall I put my things? I'd prefer someplace dry, if anything is available."

The request was barely off his lips when the console in front of him sprung a bright blue ball of light that looked something like a 'pawn' from the Earth game 'chess', only this one had a larger head and a halo around the neck.

"The area near the Life Support plant on the Crew Deck tends to be slightly more arid then the rest of the ship." The disembodied voice echoed lightly.

"Ah. An AI? My thanks." Thane said.

He looked a little concerned at the presence of an Artifical Intelligence with his brow slightly raised. The assassin took the time to excuse himself with a stiff haf-bow then moved towards the door with confident strides. He stepped out of the Com Room letting the doors hiss closed behind him before making his way to the elevator. EDI left her two cents before logging out,

"He seems quite civil."

Shepard agreed, though he may have been a bit dramatic. It was amussing. She turned her attention to Jacob ready to face more oppositon from him.

"We need all the help we can get." She pointed out. "I'll admit, he's not what I expected in an assassin. He may surprise you."

"Yeah, and he may not." Jacob retorted. He uncrossed his arms and left for his station in the Armory in his version of a huff.

Thane had rounded the corner out of the Armory with every intention of going strait to his quarters. Near the elevator he caught a red haired woman nearby trying to hide her interest in his presence. He nodded politely to her which made her blush a bright pink and hurridly turn back to her duties. Her reaction to him amused him and smiled to himself on the elevator ride down to the Crew Deck. When the elevator halted the doors swished open and he quickly exited taking a few steps away from the doors before stopping in the hall. To his left he saw the Crew Quarters and the Starboard Observation Deck. To his right he found Life Support and the Port Observation Deck. He considered a future visit to that area of the ship latter before moving toward his room.

As soon as the doors to Life Support slid open and he stepped inside he noticed the difference. The air was slightly dryer in here, as the AI had promised, and slightly warmer. He could feel his breath come easier. He closed his eyes and inhaled the relief deeply allowing the breath to slowly escape through his nose. The ache that followed was a welcome one. Like the way one's muscles feel after a good stretch in the morning. A generator hummed beyond a rail to his left and filters lined the wall on his right. The irony in his placement in these quarters was not lost on him. The reminder of his mortality weighed heavily on him. His things had been brought aboard for him and lay on a table with two chairs between a narrow cot and a large window with a view of the Mass Effect Core. Brightly lit shelves lined a section of wall next to the window.

"How convenient," he thought.

He opened the first case to clean each piece of hardware before methodically placing his weaponry on the shelves begining to settle in comfortably enough.

Early the next morning he was up, sitting at the table with a cup of herbal tea about to begin his morning meditations. The doors behind him hissed open. The red haired human that had blushed at him on the command deck entered the room. She was smiling cheerfully.

"Hello!" She chirped, "Welcome aboard the Normandy. I'm Yeoman Kelly Chambers. How are you doing this morning Mr. Krios?"

Kelly was always excited about new people, no matter the species. It was part of her un-official job as the ships consoler to do a short interview with each new member.

"I am well, and you?" Thane replied politely.

"I'm doing great!" She chimed and sat down across from him. "So, tell me about yourself."

Her perpetual smile was genuine if not naive.

"I was about to begin my morning prayer." Thane explained. He kept his features and tone blank to conceal his irritation.

Her smile faded a little. She seemed un-nerved by him now. "Oh, I am sorry." She said sincerely. "I didn't mean to disturb you." Her eyes flicked to the table where she had unconsciously began to fidgit with her fingers. "I have to get to my station. Commander Shepard will be expecting me on the Command Deck." She excused herself and quickly left.

Thane felt little remorse for cutting her off and sending her away. He'd done it as politely as he could. He was not much of a... what was the human expression? Ah; 'morning person'.


	3. Is He Scary or Sexy?

"I'm surprised by Thane's spiritual side. His psych profile mention little of it, and he carries himself with such a cold confidence. I don't know if I find him scary or ... sexy." Kelly blushed slightly. An amused smile spread over Shepard's features.

"A lot of women like bad boys." Shepard said casually.

"A _lot_ of women? Like _you_?" Kelly suggested trying to be coy and coming off a bit jealous with a nod and a wave of her hand toward Shepard.

"I live a dangerous life. Dangerous men fit right in." Shepard replied with a small shrug, playing coy back with the Yeoman.

"I like you more and more each day Shepard." Kelly giggled with a light twinkled in her eye.

"I'd better go." Shepard replied and headed for the elevator. The look the Yeoman gave her made Shepard both nervous and curious. The commander decided it was probably best not to know.

"Talk to you latter, Shepard." Kelly called after her, grinning, then returned her attention to her console.

Shepard stepped toward the elevator. She had on her civies, a simple tan and brown tweed jump suit with leather straps and deep purple armlets. There was no way she was going to wear anything with a Cerberus logo on it, though the jump suit did leave her with a chill now and then due to the exposed skin on her shoulders and base of her spine. She punched the button on the panel and the elevator doors hissed closed before it descended to the Crew Deck. Time to meet the newest addition to the team.

She was a little nervous about meeting him. He was an assassin after all. Yet, he seemed very calm and serine. Not like the 'bad ass' attitude she had expected from a hired killer, like Zaeed. The elevator stopped and she made her way casually to his door pausing a moment to compose herself before she entered.

Thane was immediately aware of her presence.

"Do you need something?" He asked as he stared at the Drive Core.

He sat at the table facing the window with his elbows on the table and his hand clasped together. She noticed he had made thorough use of the back lit shelves. He leaned back into his chair when she approached, keeping his hands locked together on the table.

"Have a few minutes to talk?" She asked.

"Certainly. We haven't had a chance since I joined." He nodded briefly to the chair opposite him. The motion was lost in the subtilty.

"When we met you, you said you were dying." She said, getting right to the point and crossing her arms.

"Yes, I thought you'd want to know more." He focused on the drive core. "You don't have to worry about the rest of the crew. My illness is not communicable, even to other Drell. It's called Kepral's Syndrome." Thane explained.

"Are you going to be alright until the end of the mission?"

"I should be fine for another eight to twelve months." Thane waved his hands, bouncing invisible time between them, "The more time I spend in humid environments the faster it progresses. I think it's safe to say that by the time my body is incapacitated we will be victorious or dead." He considered what he just said before explaining further. "My people are native to an arid world. Our lungs cannot deal with moisture. Over time, the tissue losses it's ability to absorb oxygen. It becomes harder to breath. Eventually we suffocate. Either way I won't be a burden to you." Thane dropped his head a little when he reminded himself of his own, painful end.

"Is there anything we can do here? Normandy has a state of-the-art medical bay." Shepard offered.

"No, thank you. It's being attended to. If the finest minds in the Hanar Illuminated Primacy can't solve the problem, I doubt your ship's medic could." Thane took a brief pause before continuing, "Thank you for your concern. Trust me. This won't affect my performance."

Shepard had meant to imply that Mordin may be of service as well, but Thane seemed earnest about not accepting the offer.

"Can it be cured?" Shepard asked.

"She certainly dose have a lot of questions," Thane thought before replying. "The Hanar have funded a genetic engineering program. They should be able to adapt us. The project has only been running for a few years," he shrugged, "I don't believe my body with still draw breath by the time it bears fruit."

Shepard pursed her lips, a little annoyed with his stubbornness, and decided to ask about something else.

"The Drell live on the Hanar home world, don't they?" Implying this may not be the best environment for them to live if it causes this ailment.

"Yes. We live on the Hanar home world because they rescued us, some of us, from extinction." He said matter-of-factly.

"Why was your race going extinct?"

"Overpopulation." He replied flatly. "That must sound trite to you. Humans developed mass effect drive before the problem became acute. Our home world, Rakhana, had few resources. We hadn't even developed fusion power when the soil began to fail from over use and pollution. The Hanar found us a century ago. They sent hundreds of ships. Evacuated thousands of us. Billions more had to be left behind."

"What's the state of Rakhana now?" She asked.

Thane looked at her, his eyes black and impossible to read.

"Do you read your philosophers? A man named Thomas Hobbes?" He asked, then continued without waiting for an answer, 'When all the world is over charged with inhabitants then the last remedy of all is war, which provideth for every man by victory or death.' - As Rakhana died around them my people slaughtered each other for mouthfuls of water. Crumbs of food." He sat silent staring at her face which was the mask of a commander as she processed all he'd told her. When she spoke again she seemed thoughtful.

"When you prey for the 'wicked', who exactly are you preying to?" She asked.

Thane was intrigued by her change of subject and grateful for it.

"It depends on the circumstance," He began, "To find my target I speak with Amonkira, Lord of Hunters. When I act to protect another, Arashu, Goddess of Motherhood and Protection. When I have taken my target, I speak with Kalahira, Goddess of Oceans and the Afterlife."

"Oceans and Afterlife don't seem to have much in common." Shepard mused.

"Consider. The ocean is full of life, yet it is not life as you and I know it. To survive there, we must release our hold on land. Accept a new way to live. So it is with death. The soul must accept it's departure from the body. If it can't it will be lost."

The conversation carried on a while longer as Thane explained the polytheistic Drell beliefs were older faiths and how the younger generations had accepted Hanar beliefs or Asari philosophies. Not much later, Shepard excused herself back to her duties and left the room. Her smell lingered lightly in the air, a clean floral sent with a touch of natural musk beneath that was her own odor. It was pleasant to him as he returned to his meditations.


	4. More Than Friends

Shepard lay on her bed, exhausted. They were on their way to get Tali. She was glad that the Illusive Man had added her to the list of recruits. She would have to return to Nos Astra later for Miranda's sister and the Justicar. Tali was in a dire situation on Haestrom.

A deep sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes to get some rest before landing on Haestrom. She let her mind wander as she drifted down to sleep trying not to worry or think about the mission. She had been utilising Asari meditation techniques that Liara taught her to block out the nightmares that the Pothian Beacon had left burned in her mind. They usually worked.

Instead of nightmares, she now dreamed of fuzzy images and erotic moans. There was a warmth over her body and a strange pulsing sensation. She sensed a feeling of trust and a deep emotional connection, a security she had only known with Liara, but this was different, deeper. Stronger. Was she dreaming about her? One of the fuzzy images was peachy in color, with a long, thick brush stroke of strawberry blonde that swept down from the figures head. That one must be herself. The other, however, was not the cool blue and silver of Liara. There was a lot of green and bits of black with a large reddish splotch near the head...

"One hour to arrival."

EDI interrupted her dreams with the ETA warning she always asked for. Shepard woke with a start when the AI pinged her console.

"_What_ was _that_?" she thought in dismay, the dream burning in her thoughts with it's watery colors. Was she really having dreams about the _Drell_? She would have to meditate more to get her head on strait. She didn't need this kind of distraction. The team was almost complete and they still needed to find the IFF to get through the Omega 4 Relay. She had committed to building the team up instead of going after it right way. She wasn't ready to face another derelict Reaper ship just yet.

Shepard shook her head and stretched her muscles in all directions as she spread herself out and arched her back against the bed before sitting up to get dressed. She headed to the bath room to wash her face, catching her nude form in the mirror needlessly reminding her of the dream. She always slept in the nude. It was freeing. Now she used it as a scape goat for the 'interesting' dream. A bit of nether moisture crept up on her as the tingling memory ticked her mind. Doing her best to push the dream away she quickly piled her waist long hair into the giant bun on top of her head and left the sterile bathroom.

At the bottom of the stairs by the fish tank she opened the hidden closet to fetch her armor; Military issue underwear and bra, comfy. Enhanced under weave, tight and black. She had a harder time slipping into the skin tight garment. It had a tendency to ride up in revealing places. Lastly she clicked each plate of armor into place. She had it customized with a pearly violet sheen over white with black accents, a blood red stripe down one arm for her status as Commander. No reason a battle hardened space thug couldn't be pretty, right?

On her way out the door she pushed the button to feed the fish she'd picked up on Illium and the Citadel. They swam hurriedly to the surface where the little nutrient flakes slowly sifted down from the automated storage bin hidden above the tank alcove. It made her smile a little before she headed out. She'd be taking Garrus and Grunt on this mission. She figured they'd handle the heat better than the rest.

"Time to 'Move Out!" She laughed to herself.

_Post Mission;_

Haestrom had been ungodly hot. She thought the volcanic worlds she had roamed around in the Mako were warm... Haestrom was the planetary version hell! How did the geth not fry when they attacked them from the sunny areas? She would go visit Tali after her shower.

Sweat was slick over her skin and she smelled horrible. Even with the under weave hugging all her curves as tight as ever she still had swamp butt to an uncomfortable level, not to mention the 'swampiness' of other areas. Her own stench over powered her as she stripped off the armor a piece at a time. She let it all fall to the floor before she practically ran to the cleansing power of the water streaming out of the shower head. EDI was getting very good at guessing what habitual action Shepard would take after each mission.

The water felt good on her skin. It ran in rivulets down her body, around each curve and over her breasts, cascading off her nipples. She didn't want to mess with the bun again, but it wouldn't seem appropriate to let it down around the crew. At least while on duty.

After she dressed she made her rounds, stopping in to see Tali first. When she'd made her way to the Crew Deck she saved Thane for last. She was just leaving Garrus in the Forward Battery smiling to herself. She had offered to help him release some tension in a one on one combat sparing match and he had graciously declined claiming he didn't want to be 'added to the list of people she'd knocked on their asses.' He could always make her laugh. She wouldn't mind if he became more than her best friend in the universe if only he were a species a little closer to home. As it was, she wasn't a huge fan of anaphylactic shock or the idea of unintentional rough sex. She had considered the idea when they started getting close and did some research with Mordin's help. She wondered if there was anything similar to worry about with Drell... Wait, _what? _She shook her head again and decided maybe she shouldn't visit Thane today. The dream was obviously still distorting her thoughts. When she came out of her mental struggle she found herself exactly where she had decided not to be.

"Do you need something?"

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?" The words were out before she could stop them,

"Certainly." He answered, once again abandoning his meditations to rest his hands on the table. Shepard made long strides to the window.

"If you don't mind my saying, you don't really seem like an assassin." Her soft voice sounded a little to bed roomy in her own ears. Thane either ignored it or did not notice it, thankfully.

"You've spent too much time fighting thugs who think custom-painted armor makes them professionals." He retorted with something that may have been offense or disdain for 'thugs' in his voice.

Shepard wondered what he thought of her and _her_ custom armor. She considered re-skinning it to standard shades.

"The Hanar trained my body for this role since I was six years old." He spoke with pride.

"You've been killing since you were six?" Shepard was surprised and disgusted with the Hanar for putting a child on that path.

"Of corse not. I didn't make my first kill until I was twelve." Thane said this as if it were absurd of her the think he'd killed at six, but perfectly acceptable to do so at twelve. "They were training me. I was not to be used and thrown away. I was an investment."

"You were a _child_ not and investment!" Shepard almost seethed back at him.

Surprised by her anger, Thane answered, "I've given you the wrong idea. They valued me. Yes, as a resource, but also as a person. They... regretted their need for me."

"I don't picture the Hanar as the type to train assassins." Her tone softened.

"Every species trains assassins. The Hanar are only unusual in that they need other species to do the killing for them."

"Why did your parents agree to this?"

"The agreement was made under the Compact. It was an honor for my family."

"The Compact?"

"They rescued us from extinction. We owe them our lives. That is the Compact."

Shepard turned to face him now. "What exactly are the terms of the Compact?"

"There are many things the Hanar can't do, even with mechanical aid. They ask Drell to assist them. Anyone can refuse to serve. Few do. We owe our exitance to the Hanar. We are proud to repay the debt."

"The way you describe it, the Hanar sound weak."

"Out here they are. If you could see them in the Encompasing, the oceans of Kahje, you would see them differently."

Thane's eyes seems to loose their focus on her,

"A stream of silver in the dark. Looping, diving so fast the eye can't follow. Laughter like the squeals of a child vibrate the water. They fly over the black sea bed like birds plumed with the light of heaven." He closed his eyes and refocused them on Shepard.

Shepard stood quiet for a moment. He'd been smiling. A real smile, with teeth even. It was a startling to see him do it. She loved look on him and hoped to see it more often in the future.

"You don't work for the Hanar anymore, you're free lance. What changed?" She asked.

"I was asleep or a long time, yes. I paid no attention to what my body was asked to do, but then..." his eyes unfocused again. "Laser dot trembles on the skull. One finger twitch, he dies. Then the smell of spice on the spring wind. Sunset colored eyes defiant in the scope. The laser dances away."

The smile returned, but only when he spoke of the sunset eyes, then he lowered his head. Looking up he refocused on the woman in front of him.

"My apologies. Drell slip into memory so easily." He explained.

"Was that one of your assassinations?"

"Ah, yes. Perhaps we can discuss it later. I must return to my meditations."

"I should go."

"I will be here if you need me."

Shepard left with an odd feeling in her chest. She decided she'd better take a few moments for her own meditatations in her quarters before things got much worse in her head. She headed strait to the elevator.

Thane sat with his hands positioned for meditation, but that's not what he was doing. His thoughts were of a different color. The sent of Shepard lingering in the air caused conflicting thoughts in his mind. The shape of her mouth harked back to the mouth of another. Even the way she said certain words was familiar. His eyes focused on nothing...

"I've just told her I am leaving in the morning for another contract. I say I will return sooner than I did on the last job. She nods. 'What did the doctors tell you today?' She asks. I tell her the news of my condition. Tears well up in her eyes, but she blinks them back. I look at her. I wonder what she will do when I am gone. Kolyat is asleep in his room. The moons shine brightly through the dome over the city. The light beams in through the window and catches in her eyes... She looks at me and smiles. 'You are here, now. We should enjoy the time we have,' she whispers and nuzzles my neck. I feel the love and pain in her words. I take her in my arms. Her body is warm against mine. I tell her I love her. She whispers, 'Be alive with me tonight.' She smiles up at me as we lay together for the last time." He speaks the memory to the empty room. It takes all his strength to push the thoughts aside so he can concentrate on his mantra. When he closes his eyes he realizes his eyes are wet.

Shepard returned to his quarters the next day while en route back to Illium. The strange conversation she'd had with Thane had been roaming around in the back of her mind, driving her crazy like an itch you can't reach. As usual she found him in prayer at the table facing the drive core.

"Do you need something?"

"Have a few minutes to talk?"

"If you wish." He lowered his hands to the table.

"The last time we talked you started speaking about a past event as if you were watching it."

She sat in the chair across from him this time. This surprised and pleased the drell. Why this pleased him was unknown. His body betray him with a small smile as he spoke.

"Drell have perfect memories. We can relive any moment of our lives with perfect clarity. It's difficult to control at times. Some of us disappear into ... Mmmm, let's call it solipsism." He used his hands more liberally while talking. He was becomming comfortable with her.

"What do you mean 'solipsism'?" Her brow knitted slightly with the question.

"When a memory feels as real as life, it's as valid as life. Thinking about a moment brings back the smell of cut grass, the warmth of another's hand on yours, the taste of another's tongue in your mouth." He closed his eyes for a moment tempting the memory, only to find himself imagining what Shepard's tongue might taste like. He allowed himself a small smile. "Wouldn't you rather lose yourself in such a memory than spend the night alone, starring at walls of metal and plastic?" He said as he leaned toward her.

Shepard found herself enjoying the shape of his lips while he talked and the rumble of his voice vibrate through the air and the table. It reminded her of the deep purr of a contented cat. A very large contented cat.

"Isn't there a risk you could lose yourself in bad memories as well?" She wondered aloud. She hadn't meant to ask, but when he began to answer she decided it was best to go with it.

"Of corse. Remembering times I've taken bullets is... unpleasant. But I can look at my knee and see it's not shattered. The memories that are hard to escape are those of despair."

"You can remember everything that happened in your life?"

"Nearly. I suspect if we remembered the birth trauma we would never recover from it."

Shepard wondered if that was a joke and decided it best not to laugh in case it was not, although she may have smiled. Thane didn't seem to notice or at least he wasn't offended. The deep black ink wells of his eyes stared back at her waiting for her next question. She felt she could drown in them.

"The last time we talked you remembered one of your assassinations. Something about 'sunset-colored' eyes?" She tried to ask as casually as she could. In reality she felt anything but casual about the subject.

"Ah, that time..." Thane recalled the memory for her with perfect clarity. "A bystander noticed my spotting laser, and threw herself between me and the target. She couldn't see me, but she stared me down."

"Was that just another vivid drell memory?"

"Not... no, she was a vivid person."

Shepard stomach instantly knotted up and jumped into her chest. Did he already have someone? She quickly made up a believable reason to excuse herself.

"I need to get back to my duties." she said as she got up out of the chair to leave.

"Shepard," he almost got up to stop her from leaving. What was _wrong_ with him? _Why_ was he so compelled to be near her? Instead he kept himself firmly seated and clasped his hands together on the table. "I enjoy these chats we have." She stood with her body facing the doors as she looked at him, concern knitting her brow and softening her eyes. Their color reminded him of the sea.

"You've spent a lot of you life alone, Thane." She said softly.

Her response provoked a short laugh from his chest,

"Work fulfilled me. Reading. I barely spoke to anyone outside my family. It seems there will be no one to mourn me when I die. You're the only friend I've made in ten years." He felt his heart beat quicken. He'd exposed part of himself to her. He relaxed into his chair a little when she didn't leave.

Shepard turned way from the door, considering how she should answer him. Her heart pounded in her chest, excited and surprisesd by this new information. As she opened her mouth she hoped nothing stupid came out of it.

"Friend, hu... It's a start." She said with a shrug. Oh, god. There is was... verbal vomit all over their nice conversation. She needed a drink. A stiff one. Maybe three.

"A start?' That's..." Thane laughed lightly, "intriguing."

He clasped his hands again and sat forward placing them first on the table and then to his lips. This was an enticing turn of events! He calmed himself trying to think of a diplomatic answer. Then he replied;

"I will always be here to talk."

Thane's soft laugh sent a tickling sensation up her spine as she suddenly imagined him producing that same sound with his lips against the skin of her neck. She struggled to maritain her composure as she casually fled the room. Her heart was pounding. Her blood coursed through her like a river of opiates. Now she really needed a drink. She wondered if Doctor Chakwas had any brandy left.

When Shepard left him, he had done his best to surpress what he was thinking and feeling. After years of keeping his emotions in check, it's all he could do to stay in his seat. He focused hard on the scales on his thumb to appear as if he were preparing to meditate. He did not let her see him watching her out of the corner of his eye as she walked away. Intriguing, yes. He found himself allowing the feelings of attraction flow over him. He would meditate on the thought and see where his true feelings lay.


	5. Trust

The Normandy was in orbit over Illium. Miranda's sister was safe, though her childhood friend, Niket had died at the hands of an Eclipse Asari. He had betrayed her and 'Miri' would have killed him herself, but Shepard could not let her do that. When she talked to Miranda later the dark haired biotic admitted that she was glad Shepard had stayed her hand. They talked about Oriana a while then Shepard left Miranda in peace.

Miranda was distracted and so was the commander. She kept thinking about Thane. He had touched her wrist protectivly when an asari merc came flying through the air toward them as they entered the cargo bay where the Justicar was interrogating some Eclipse sisters. Had their pervious conversation provoked him to act on feelings that had been stirring beneath the surface? He hadn't exactly reacted affimativly one way or the other when she made the sugestion in Life Support. She shook her head trying to rid herself of the thoughts and feelings. This was ridiculous, acting like a school girl. She was too old for this crap.

A week had past and Shepard had avoided the drell. She still had fantasies and was feeling terribly guilty about it because she still had feelings for Liara. The asari, however, had clearly moved on to absolve herself in her work.

Liara had kissed Shepard when she walked in on her threatening a non-paying client, only to shake her head and avoid anything further to do with their past relationship.

The sense of abandonment was fading, and having Joker, Garrus and Tali by her side made it easier. Not everyone had left her. She still had her embodiment of humor, her bastion of strength and a reminder that she was a woman under it all, daily on her six to keep her grounded. She was thankful for that. And now she had this new... she wasn't sure what to call it. Her relationship with Thane had changed in their last conversation. It had excited her, but it also worried her. He was dieing. The words of her house mother echoed in the back of her mind. Could she handle loving him now to lose him with in a year? Did he even _want_ to pursue anything with her?

Alone in Life Support, Thane was trying to meditate. Shepard had not come to visit him since recruiting the Justicar. He wondered if he had done something to up-set her. He'd found himself attracted to her, which was absurd of corse, but none the less a reality. He liked being by her side during the battles. He'd caught himself watching her graceful movements or admiring her reddish hair piled up in a large puff on top of her head. He found that part rather amusing. He was drawn to her face when the light hit it just so, lighting up her eyes like jewels. He'd become fond of the small freckles that played over her features. He missed her company and their conversations, now that there had been none, even if they were mostly him explaining things to her about his race or his line of work. What was it about her that he was so drawn? But he could answer that question too. It lay in her confidence, the complexity of soft and hard in her personality, her skill in a fight, her cleverness and her concern for her ship and crew. He knew enough to know he wanted to know more.

A ping on his private communicator broke his train of thought. It was a message from one of his contacts on the Citadel. He had sent messages to several of his old contacts weeks ago asking the where-abouts of his son when he could not contact him on Kahje. The news was not news he wanted to hear. He used a terminal link to sent a request to Yeoman Chambers' station requesting the Commanders attention. He marked it urgent. Now she would have to come see him. It saddened him that it would be out of need and not desire. Perhaps this would give him a chance to redeem himself of whatever he had done to earn the absence of her presence.

Shepard was in her quarters. She sat on her sofa sipping some chocolate/hazelnut tea with a 'good book' when she heard the ping on her lap top. Chambers had forwarded an urgent message to her. Sighing heavily she put the cup of tea and archaic reading matierial on the low table and got up to check the message. It was from Thane.

With a lump in her throat and a knot in her stomach, Shepard stepped out of the elevator and walked over to Thane's quarters. She knew he wouldn't have abused communications or lightly use the 'urgent' marker, but she was nervous about seeing him.

"Oh, grow up, Shepard." she told herself. "You're an Alliance Commander and a Specter, for Pete's sake! Get a grip, woman!" She steeled her resolve and brought herself within range of the doors to trigger them to open. Thane was right where she'd left him exactly how she always found him, meditating. This time he immediately sat up right, ridged.

"Shepard!" He did not look at her. This might be more difficult than he thought.

"Is there something wrong?"

Thane's posture collapsed, then righted itself, but not nearly as resolutely. "Yes. Now that you are here, though, it... seems more difficult to talk about."

"Take all the time you need." The concern in Shepard's voice was unmistakable. She was trying to be professional. Trying to be Commander Shepard, but he heard what was beneath.

"Thank you, though I fear I have done that for too long already."

Thane abruptly, and somehow silently, got up from his chair and walked briskly past her over to the shelves of guns on the wall. His leather coat swished back and forth with his alien movements. He locked his hands behind his back in military stance.

"I had a family once. I still have a son." He shifted his weight. He was nervous about revealing this information. "His name is Kolyat. I haven't seen him for a very long time."

Shepard walked slowly over to him, angling her body to the shelves, but looking at his face. She was trying to read anything that might be written there. She had her own feelings about the fact that he had a son, probably from the woman with 'sunset eyes', but those feelings would have to wait. Unsure of what to say next to this man who was obviously feeling exposed she tried to approached the subject gently.

"How long has it been since you talked?"

"Ten years. He showed me some of his school work and asked me if we could 'dance crazy'. We did that when he was young."

"What sort of dance is that?" She laughed lightly, trying to brighten the mood.

"It's... " His eyes unfocus. Shepard knows what's coming. "I check my extra-net contacts. I expect an update on my next target. The console plays... music, old. Unfashionable."

Shepard wonders what kind of music he likes. She thinks it's interesting he prefers something 'unfashionable', like his faith. Thane features shift into a smile as he continues,

"Kolyat jumps into the room. I scoop him up. Toss him into the air. He shrieks, laughs. "Spin me!" The console beeps I put him down." The smile fades into a frown. "I click the message. "Father?" he pleads, tugs my sleeve. "I need to read this." I say. I don't look at him..." Thane looks down, away from Shepard's gaze for a long moment. Ashamed. Regretful.

"Did something happen to them?" Shepard asked. She remembered him saying the memories of despair were harder to break out of. She didn't want him to get sucked into that.

"I abandon them."

His answer shocked her and she kicked herself mentally for posing a bad question.

"Though, not all at once." he added. "Nothing dramatic. No sneaking out in the middle of the night. No final argument or slammed door." He looked back to Shepard's face brightly lit by the light from the shelves. "I just... did my job. I hunted and killed across the galaxy. 'Away on business', my wife would tell people. I was... always 'away on business."

"You never mentioned this before, why now?" Shepard was beginning to feel uncomfortable and put on the Commander mask, even if it was thinning under Thane's gaze.

"When my wife departed from her body I... attended to that issue. I left Kolyat in the care of his aunts and uncles. I have not seen or talked to him since."

"That's not the choice I expected. Why didn't you raise him yourself?" Word vomit again, but it was getting more difficult to keep her other questions at bay. Questions such as _"Wife?!" _and _"How did she die?"_

"My body is blessed with the skills to take life. The Hanar honed them in me. I have few others. I didn't want that life for Kolyat. I hoped he would find his own way. If he hated me, so be it. He would not have shared the path of sin." He faced Shepard full on now. It was time to tell her why he had sent her the message. "I used my contacts to trace Kolyat. He has become... Disconnected. He dose what his body wills."

"You'll have to explain that one to me." Shepard admitted. In bits of talk between missions. He had mentioned things like 'battle sleep' and the lack of guilt over those he was asked to kill because his soul was not responsible but those of his employers. He managed to equate his being to that of a gun where his job was concerned. This was new.

"Disconnected? ... The body is not our true self. The soul is. Body and soul work as one in the whole person." Thane paused to look at her. She waited patiently for him to get to continue. "When the soul is weakened by despair or fear, when the..." He took a breath. He was becoming anxious, "body is sick or injured the individual is disconnected. No longe whole." He blinked his secondary eye lids several times. His eyes locked in on hers.

"What's wrong with him? Is he hurt?"

Shepard's genuine concern for his son touched him. He wanted to hold her. To let her hold him. To be allowed the weakness if only for a moment in her arms. He could smell her light floral sent and the underling musk or her own skin. His head pounded with worry for his son. His heart ached over his mistakes with his family. He didn't want to repeat them.

"Something happened that should not have." His face grew stern for a moment before he continued, "He knows where I've been, what I've done. I don't know his reasons, but he has gone to the Citadel. He's taken a job as a hit man. I would like you help to stop him. He is..." He took another breath, "This is not a path he should walk."

"Why did he take the job?"

"I don't know why he would accept the task. He has not been trained. He does not have my skills."

"To be closer to you maybe?" Shepard gestured toward Thane. Her words hit him hard. His body stiffened.

"That thought haunts me more than any other." He admitted.

"What made him go to the Citadel?"

"Years ago I prepared a package for him, a relic of my ill spent life. I had volus bankers store it and arranged for delivery when I died. He acquired it early. I don't really know how. I did wet work on the Citadel around the time his mother died. That may be why he went there."

"Thane, I don't have your resources or abilities. Why do you need my help for this?" She said mostly out of nervesness. She'd helped others of her team with personal quests. Somehow this seemed a more fragile situation.

"I don't _need_ your help, I_ want _it! The last time I saw my son..." His eyes unfocused but stayed on Shepard's face for a moment. His face suddenly pained and sad. "They wrapped her body in sea vines, weighted it... with stones. He tries to pull from me, he calls.. for her. The hanar lift her off the platform. They sing like bells, 'the fire had gone to be kindled anew...' he begs them not to take her away. They let her body sliiide into the water. He hits me." Thane face looks up to the ceiling in place of his son in his memory, looking up at his own face. He shouts, " Don't let them! Why weren't you...?" His face levels again, "It rains. It always rains on Kahje. Warm water pours down his face." Thane lowered his head. He shifted his weight before refocusing on Shepard. He blinks back tears that threaten to well up in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to make you relive that." Now it's Shepard's turn to face away from him. She focuses on the trigger of a sniper rifle on the shelf.

"Perfect memory. It is sometimes a burden." His words are resolut and reflective.

Shepard wasn't sure if he meant that specific memory or the ability to remember everything clearly. "I'll get us to the Citadel as soon as possible." She said. She had to go back anyway. Garrus had found a lead on Sedonis, the turian that betrayed him. "Two birds with one stone." She thought.

"Thank you Shepard." Thane half bowed to her."I'll be meditating until you need me."

He turned sharply from her and returned to his chair. He was too consumed by the feelings left by reliving the memories to think of anything but his son in this moment. He knew the commander would understand. However engrossed he may have been Shepard's brief pause when she thought she was out of sight did not go un-noticed. It touched him and he stored it away to steel him later.


	6. Revenge or Justice?

Fighting through mercs and mechs was tough work. Fortunately the cargo bay offered lots of cover. Unfortunately that was also true for the Blues Suns mercenaries protecting "Fade". The man had helped Sedonis disappear from radar. Garrus was intent on forcing information from the incorporeally named about the traitorous turian.

"Fade", it turned out, was Harkin. A human Garrus had worked with in C-sec that had been fired for basically being a piece of shit. In Garrus' opinion it took C-sec far too long to realize that. Now here he was again, being a pain in his ass. The turian leaned out of cover long enough to fire a round into the face of a Blue Sun. The mercs head popped like a balloon. Garrus smiled to himself. He was finally going to get revenge on Sedonis for his men and he was going to get to beat the crap out of Harkin. This day just got even better.

Shepard was providing cover fire for Thane to move to an advanced position. Garrus followed suit. He shot a brief glance at Shepard as he past her to a new position. She was subtly trying to change his mind, or at least get him to talk to Sedonis. He didn't give a damn _why_ the bastard had done it. He just wanted the traitor dead. Shepard always had a soft spot he didn't understand. He hated and loved her for it.

"Do you really think you can take me down, Garrus!" Harkin shouted over the loud system.

Garrus' mandibles twitched, the turian version of clinching his jaw. He was not only going to 'take down' Harkin, or 'Fade' or whatever ridiculous name the human wanted to call himself. He was going to tenderize him for varren cubs! He chuckled as he hopped over the last platform. His humor was short lived as two heavy mechs came crashing down from over head. "Just great." He thought.

"Harkin's going to regret this." He mumbled, mostly to himself.

"Take Cover!" He shouted as he ducked behind a large metal container that he hoped was full of something heavy and missile proof.

Shepard took a position on the highest platform with a clear shot and good cover. Thane had done a little assassin magic and disappeared behind some unseen crate. She switched weapons to the Collector Laser Rifle she'd picked up on Horizon. Those mechs were toast. Burnt toast.

Garrus fired off several rounds and conclusive shots. Gun fire from Thane's rifle echoed in the wake of the turians fire. Shepard leaned out of cover lining up her shot. She found her mark and pulled the trigger. The kick was more than she'd expected. The laser missed her target. "Damn," she cursed herself. She aimed again and pulled the trigger. She got one right between the 'eyes' and the mech fell to it's knees and exploded causing critical damage to the other mech. She leaned out of cover and fired. She missed the head but hit the target. The mech crumpled and exploded after a few more rounds from Garrus.

"I bet Harkin's 'shitin' in his breeches now'!" Garrus called to her as he ran toward Harkin's hiding spot in the control room.

Shepard laughed, but was worried about her friend. He was much more callous than he had been two years ago. The betrayal and loss of his team had hurt him as much as angered him. It pained her to see him this way. She did not envy Harkin. She had a vauge memory of the drunk from her brief encounter with him on the Citadel years before. However much of a asshole the man was, he probably didn't deserve what Garrus was about to serve him.

Up the final platforms, "POP, POP"! Two LOKI mechs go down. This was it. Garrus had gone up the other side to block Harkin's escape. The doors hissed open and Shepard and Thane moved in, weapons ready. A faint blue biotic glow danced on Thane's skin. Harkin was taping glowing keys on his console looking out the window to find them. He saw Shepard with his periphial and darted the opposite way, looking over his shoulder at the pointed guns.

"You we close, but not close enough!" Garrus surprised Harkin with a blow to the face with the butt of his rifle. While Harkin cradled his newly broken nose Garrus wrapped an arm over his chest and slammed him into the nearest wall and grabbing his shirt collar.

"So, '_Fade_', couldn't make yourself disappear, huh?"

"Common Garrus, we can work this out. Whaddya need?" Harkin said, smooth as ever. The rat.

Garrus released his grip and took a few steps away from the man's rancid alcohol breath. He turned his back to him. "I'm looking for someone." He spat.

"Well, I guess we both have something the other one wants." Harkin taunted.

That was a bad idea. Garrus turned on the human. Harkin raised his hands in defense shaking his head. Garrus kneed him in the groin, hard. Harkin fell to the floor groaning in pain.

"We're not here to ask favors, Harkin." Shepard snapped at him unamused.

Harkin stood up again. "You don't say... princess." Harkin smiled when he saw the discomfort on Shepard's face. That's what he'd called her on the Citadel when she came to him looking for Garrus, who was now beating the piss out of him.

"You helped a friend of mine disappear. I need to find him." Garrus growled.

The turian's face was hard and angry. Shepard had never seen him like this. It was... un-nerving.

"I might need... a little more information than that." Harkin huffed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"His name was Sedonis. Turian, came from the..."

"I know who he is..." Harkin cut him off and leaned into Garrus' face, " and I'm not tellin' you squat."

"Is this information really worth all the trouble?" Shepard asked. Her arms crossed as she shifted her wieght to one leg.

"I don't give out client information, it's bad for business." Harkin shook his head.

Garrus brought his knee up hard into Harkin rib cage, lifting the man off the ground. Garrus let him fall to the floor and firmly placed his boot on Haskin's neck. He was loosing what little patience he had left for this... _individual_.

"You know what else is bad for business? A broken neck!" Garrus seethed.

He slowly started applying more pressure on Haskin's neck. Harkin gasped for air and clawed at Garrus' armored foot struggling for air.

"Alright, alright! Get off me!" Harkin gurgled.

Shepard eyed her friend. Garrus was enjoying this too much. He wasn't going to let up. They weren't going to get anything out of Harkin if he was dead. Shepard tapped Garrus' shoulder. He glanced back at her and she shook her head. He eased off, regaining some composure.

"Terminus really changed you, hu, Garrus." Harkin breathed, holding his neck and scooting away from Garrus.

"No, but Sedonis... opened my eyes. Now arrange a meeting."

Garrus pointed to the console to his right with a sideways nod. Harkin looked at the terminal and back at Garrus. He nodded again.

"I'm going." Harkin said, getting to his feet. He walked over and activated the contact sequence for Sedonis. The console confirmed a connection. Harkin pursed his lis before he commited to betraying his customer;

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, there's a chance you're identity may be compromised."

Garrus took out his gun and turned off the safety. He examined it thoughtfully in his grip. There was a look in his eye that made Shepard nervous.

"That's why I'm calling. I'm sending an agent. Where do you want to meet?" Harkin continued.

Garrus replaced the weapon with a click.

"All right, they'll be there. Don't worry, I got it covered!" Harkin cut the link and turned back to Garrus. The vigilante faced the forger waiting for the low life to give him the info.

"It's all good. He wants to meet in front of the Orbital Lounge, middle of the day. Sooo, if our business is done I'll be going..." Harken squinted his bruising eye and turned to leave. Garrus caught him by the arm.

"I don't think so. You're a criminal now, Harkin." Garrus threatened, his sharp teeth inches from Harkin's face.

"So what... You're just going to kill me? That's not your style, Garrus." Harkin countered, hoped.

"Kill you? No. But I don't mind slowing you down a bit." Garrus sneered.

Garrus took out his pistol as he released Harken's arm and took aim at his leg. Shepard leapt to Garrus' side, secured his elbow and pushed his armed hand strait up. The round went into the ceiling instead of Harkin.

"You don't need to shoot him. He won't be able to hide form C-sec now." Shepard spoke softly, but firmly to her turian friend. The glare he gave her was more than unsettlilng, but she couldn't let that show. He shook her off his arm with a growl then turned back to Harkin.

"I guess it's your lucky day." Garrous hissed with a low rumble in his chest.

"Yeah, I hope we can do this again _real_ soon." Harkin said sarcastically as he wiped the sweat and blood from his face with the back of his hand.

Shepard turned to walk away. Garrus watched her leave until she was a couple steps away then head butted Harkin's broken nose almost as hard as he could. Harkin reeled in pain, grabbing his nose again and fell to the floor unconscious. Garrus followed after Shepard.

"I didn't _shoot_ him." He said. His defensive humor had a marked dark overtone.

"Common, let's move." Shepard said, disappointed and exasperated.

"Sedonis better be there, or I'm coming back to finish the job." He told her. He sounded almost hopeful that he would get the chance.

The trio made their way to the transportation port and took a cab to the Orbital Lounge. Garrus disable the auto pilot and drove manually to a balcony near the catwalks. They rode in an uncomfortable silence. Finally Garrus broke the still tention.

"Harkin's a bloody menace! We shouldn't have just let him go. He _deserved_ to be punished."

He didn't look at her, but at least he was speaking to her.

"I'm getting a little worried about you, Garrus. We were pretty hard on Harkin." She spoke in a deep, soft tone.

"You don't think he deserved it?" Garrus asked. He looked at her now. He could tell she was displeased with him. Seeing her soften him a little. He didn't like disappointing her. He didn't like that she disapproved.

"It's just not like you." She turned away from his gaze.

Garrus paused for a moment then looked out his side view window.

"What do you want from me, Shepard?" He twinged inside his hard suite after the words left his mouth. The answer he wanted wasn't exactly to the relative question he was asking. The answer he wanted was that she wanted _him _and not the green drell in the back seat. Given the circumstances, that would not be the answer she would give, even if it were true. The reminder fueled his anger and his pain. He turned back to her sharply.

"What would _you_ do if someone betrayed _you_?" He spat.

The spark in his fiery green eyes burned into her. She thought for a moment before she answered, "I'm not sure, but I wouldn't let it change me."

"I would have said the same thing before it happened to me." Garrus said pointedly.

Shepard meet his gaze then. He was still angry with her, but also in pain. She could see that clearly as a close friend would. "It's not too late. You don't have to go through with this." She coaxed.

"Who's going to bring Sedonis to justice if_ I _don't? Nobody else knows what he's done! Nobody else cares!" He nearly shouted at her. He knew he was wrong. Shepard knew and she cared. He was too angry to admit it, though.

"I don't see any other options." He said flatly. The turian shook his head and glared out the windshield of the taxi.

"Give me a chance, let me talk to him." Shepard almost pleaded with him.

"Talk all you want, it's not going to change my mind. I _don't care _what his _reasons_ were, he screwed us... He deserves to die." Garrus was exasperated now. He leaned back hard into the seat.

"I understand what you're going through, but do you really want to kill him?" Shepard asked.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm not you." Garrus stewed.

"This isn't you either, Garrus." Shepard said softly.

Thane sat in the back seat curious how Shepard would prevent this assassination. Something she would have to do again to stop Kolyat. He felt invisiable as he watched the two old friends debate in the shadows. It was not an unfamiliar feeling but it was stragly uncomfortable in this circumstance.

"Really." Garrus was indignant. He puffed up his chest a little. "I've always hated injustice. The thought that Sedonis could get away with this... Why should he go on living while ten good men lie in unmarked graves?" He shook his head. He was resolute. "I'm sorry, Shepard. Words aren't going to solve this."

"Alright, I won't mention it again." She relented.

"I appreciate that." And he did, but it was a bluff and he knew it. She had given up, for now, and he was grateful for the end of the discussion.

"I need to set up." He looked around the catwalks for a good position. "I can get a clear shot from over there." He pointed to a catwalk over a archway. It was heavily shadowed by an over hanging bulk head.

"You just want me to get him into position?"

"Basically. Keep him talking for a minute. When I've got him in my sights I'll let you know." He programmed the auto pilot to take her and the drell down. "Give me a signal so I know you're ready and I'll take the shot." He instructed without looking at her. "You better go. He'll be here soon." He pointed with his chin to the ward below, then exited the taxi.

As the craft lifted off he looked after it, watching it float way. Doubt seeped into his mind for the first time. He walked over to the catwalk and knelt down. He'd pulled out the rifle and released the safety. The sights and extended barrels hissed and clicked into place. One round. He would only need one. He touched the com in his visor, "Shepard, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

He positioned his sniper rifle and practiced zooming in on random targets. He found Shepard and followed her for a moment. Her strange bun bobbing up and down with each step. Thane was close behind her, then veered off to sit on a bench. Garrus scanned the crowed again and found his target on a bench on the opposite side.

"Alright... There he is. Wave him over and keep him talking." He spoke low over the com.

Shepard did as she was asked. Sedonis saw her and cautiously approached. He was wearing expensive looking civies, blue with red down the front and gold detailing.

"He must have been paid very well for his betrayal." Shepard thought. No doubt Garrus was thinking something similar.

Sedonis walked over to Shepard and took a casual defensive posture, shifting his weight to one leg. Apparenly some postures were trans-galactical.

"Let's get this over with." He said, tired of having to deal with this crap. Harkin had said it was done and now there was a problem. He was going to have to have a little chat with the human.

"You're in my shot. Move to the side."

Garrus' voice came over the com in Shepard's visor. Her heart skipped a beat. She could move. It would be easy. Sedonis would be dead and Garrus would have his revenge. But it wasn't right. She hoped to whatever powers may be that Garrus was still the turian she thought he was and steeled herself for a shot she would never hear or feel if she was wrong.

Garrus zoomed in on the bun on Shepard's head. When she moved Sedonis' head would be dead center. She didn't move.

"What is she _doing_?" He thought. Then she started talking. Garrus's mandibles twitched.

"Listen, Sedonis. I'm here to help you." She said.

"Don't _ever_ say that name aloud..." Sedonis whispered, alarmed. He looked around in a near panic as if snipers would start shooting him from every darkend corner on the ward.

"I'm a friend of Garrus'. He wants you dead, but I'm hoping that's not necessary." Shepard told him.

"_Garrus_? Is this some kind of _joke_?" Sedonis was angry now.

"Great," she thought, "now I've managed to piss of two turians today."

Garrus' voice came over the com, "_Damn it_, Shepard! If he moves, I'm taking the shot!"

"You're not kidding are you?" Sedonis settled into a calm terror and looked around to try and spot his old team mate."_Screw this_, I'm not sticking around here to find out! Tell Garrus I had my own problems..." He turned to leave.

"Don't move!" Shepard grabbed his arm.

"Get off of me!" He shouted.

"I'm the only thing standing between you and a hole in the head." Shepard warned.

Sedonis lowered his head, "Fuck." He looked at Shepard again. "Look, I didn't wanna do it, I didn't have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice." Garrus growled. His anger was growing. His brow knitted together as he glowered at the back of Shepard's head through the scope.

"They got to me! Said they'd kill me if I didn't help, what was I supposed to do?" Sedonis pleaded.

"Let me take the shot! He's a damn coward!" Garrus seethed over the com. He was almost temptet to shoot Sedonis through Shepard's damn bun. He was learning to really hate that gnarled nest of hair.

Her military experience agreed with Garrus. Part of her wanted to take the shot herself, not just for the men that he'd gotten killed but for what that betrayal had done to her friend. In a way, Sedonis had taken something from her too.

"That's it? You were just trying to save yourself?" She asked, almost sneered in disgust.

"I know what I did. I know they died because of me." Sedoinis's voice was low and defeated. He walked over to the railing staring down at the alien plant life that grew in the small median. "I have to live with that. I wake up every night, sick and sweating. Each of there faces staring at me... accusing me."

As Sedonis spoke Garrus listened over the com. The soft spot in his heart, where he kept his feelings for Shepard, ached. Damned female had_ ruined _him. Now he doubted. Did Sedonis really struggle with his decision? Was he haunted by his mistake? Was knowing that Sedonis suffered every day enough for him to leave the turian alive? ... The answer was "No." Wasn't it?

"I'm already a dead man. I don't sleep, food has no taste. Somedays I just want it to be over." Sedonis continued.

"Just give me the chance." Garrus growled over the com. His hate was still coursing through his veins. He didn't go through all this to doubt himself, to let his men down... agian.

"Alright, if that's what you want." Shepard relented.

She studied the turians face. He was staring off into the distance lost in his grief and self loathing. She turned way and left him to Garrus. Behind her she heard Sedonis' body hit the rail as it fell to the floor. She looked up at Garrus. He was already walking to the pickup point.

Thane followed her to the taxi. He tried to read her face for reasons why she let Garrus kill his target. Did she feel that vengeance for betrayal was a good enough reason to kill? What if she judged Kolyat's target worthy of death? He would not allow his son to start down that path.

The taxi landed on the balcony again. Shepard got out and went over to where Garrus was marching up to the taxi. He was angry with her for delaying his right to vengance for his men. He was grateful that she had let him have it in the end. He simultaneously wanted to punch her in the face and take her in his arms. What was he going to do with her?

"I know you want to talk about this, but I don't. Not yet." He cut her off before she could start. He leaned toward her, his eyes darkend in the shadows.

"I know it didn't go how you'd planed, but I think it's for the best." She said softly.

"I'm no so sure." Garrus admited.

"Give it time."

"Yeah, maybe that'll be enough. I wanna know I did the right thing, for my men. They deserve to be avenged. When Sedonis was in my sights... I almost couldn't do it."

"The lines between good and evil blur when we're looking at people we know."

She was looking him in the eye. Her face was soft as her tone and concerned. There was a tender spot in her heart for him too, he could see it in her eyes, still bright even in the shadows. His anger wanned. He relaxed a little inside his armor.

"Yeah, there was still good in him. I could see it, but he was a traitor and a coward. This was the only way." He paused looking at the floor for a moment before he found her face again. "It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Grey? I don't know what to do with grey." He shrugged.

"Follow your instincts." She'd meant follow you're heart, but that might give the wrong impression.

"My instincts got me into this mess," He laughed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." She teasesd and playfully tapped on each of his shoulders.

"Let's get outta here. I need to get away from this place." Garrus nodded to the taxi.

Shepard agreed, "I'm with you."

Shepard followed Garrus to the taxi. Thane had waited patiently inside. He heard most of the conversation. It had eased his worry some. He eyed Shepard closely as she settled into her seat and the taxi lifted off. She seemed calm as she sat, resting her hands in her lap. She and Garrus would exchange glances now and then. There was defiantly a bond between them that had developed over time. They trusted each other. He wondered if he would ever reach such a place with her. He didn't have the luxury of time.


	7. Assassination on the Citadel

Elias Kelham. He was restrained in the interrogation room. Thane and Shepard waited outside. He nodded to her in thanks for helping him and respect for succeeding in Elias's capture. He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before the C-sec officer approached them.

"He'll expect me to get him out of this." Captain Baily said and nodded to the doors leading to the interrogation room.

"Not today, I think." Thane blinked at him.

An officer paged Bailey's radio. Kelham's lawyer had arrived. Baily excused himself encouraging their haste. Thane took a military stance in front of Shepard.

"We should question him together, keep the pressure on. Thoughts on how we approach it?" He looked at her thoughtfully. She didn't seem worried. Her eyes held his for a moment, their brilliance never seeming to fade.

"No plan ever survives contact with the enemy anyway." she shrugged.

"True enough." He agreed.

They started walking toward the doors.

"Besides, how hard could this be?" she laughed.

"You've never done this before have you." He smiled at her casual confidence. This was going to be ... interesting.

"Who the hell are you two?" Elias swore at them when they entered the room.

The two of them looked at each other then, locking their hands behind them, went to opposite sides of the room. Thane took a position in front of Kelham, Shepard stood behind him. She crossed her arms.

"We're asking the questions here, Kelham." Shepard told him. "You hired an assassin. We want to know who you want killed. You're going to tell us."

"Do you think I'm stupid? I want my advocate." Elias demanded.

"You apparently haven't noticed we're _not_ C-sec." Thane said with a hint of sarcasm. "No 'due process', no advocate. _You_ don't make the deals." He was pacing in front of Kelham, intimidating him.

"And that's supposed to scare me?" Elias scoffed. "You two are in way over your heads. Baily won't let you touch me. Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Is that a dare?" Shepard breath over his shoulder, then delivered a right hook to Kelham's face. Blood poured from his nose.

"Tell us what we need to know." Thane said, leaning into Elias. "My associate isn't very patient."

"This is going to cost you." Elias seethed.

"We'll see about that." Thane said flatly.

"I'll have your jobs for this. What are you, _frog boy_? Her littlesidekick?" Elias mocked, nodding to Shepard.

Shepard abruptly landed another blow to the side of Kelham's head. Thane was didn't know if her defensivness of him was part of the act or if Elias had actually triggered a nerve. For now, it didn't matter.

"Do you know what I'll do to you when I get out of here?!" Elias threatened her from the restraints of the chair.

"Keep it up, tough guy!" Shepard spat. She was really starting to hate his guy.

"Go to hell." Elias sneered.

Thane motioned her to meet him off to the side.

"This isn't working." He whispered, his hand along the side of his face to control the sound. "He's not talking. We need to try something else."

"Are we done here? 'Cause I got people to see." Elias said in his self important way.

Shepard pursed her lips. Mr. Kelham was really starting to piss her off. She balled her hands into fists. "That's enough of that." She told herself. She walked briskly across the room leaving Thane to wonder what she might do next. She wasn't sure what she was going to do herself, but that bastard was going to talk.

"I'm done being patient." She hissed in Kelham's ear. She took her military grade combat knife and jabbed it into the interrogation chair mere centimeters from the criminal's neck. "Give me a name or I'll cut your _balls_ off and sell them to a _Krogan_!" She surprised herself with her creativity. Garrus would have appreciated the inside joke.

"_GAH_!" Elias gasped, "Joram! Joram Talid. Turian, 800 blocks..." he trailed off as the doors opened.

"What's going on here? Step away from my client!" It was Kelham's advocate.

"You played me!" Elias sat, eyes wide with surprise, then narrowed as he clinched his fists.

"I've enjoyed our l chat, Elias...Thanks for your help." Shepard headed to the door.

"Wait, you got what you wanted. Who ratted me out?" Kelham growled.

"Guess you've got something to think about while you're in here, hu?" Shepard quipped. She didn't bother to even glace back as she and Thane exited the room.

"Why you..." Kelham's advocate cutting him off, suggested he shut his mouth.

"Nicely done." Thane complimented Shepard as they approached Baily. He saw her allow herself a grin of satisfaction.

_800 Block;_

The 800 Block was busy. All different species of alien roamed the area, shopping, eating, talking. There was a constant low din of noise. Shepard and Thane stood off to one side. Joram was talking with a small group of various species. There was a red armored Krogan by his side.

"There he is," Shepard pointed him out with a nod of her chin. "How do you wanna play this?"

Thane thought for a moment, scanning the vicinity. He pointed up to the catwalks over head.

"Follow Talid on the maintenance catwalks. Tell me what he's doing. The Krogan body guard will make him easy to follow."

"Where will you be?" Shepard asked.

Thane took a few steps away from her before answering, "The darkest corner with best view."

Shepard nodded and headed off to the maintenance access door to the catwalks. Thane, poised his hands for prayer, bowed his head and thought for a moment then closed his eyes, ignoring the looks of passers by.

"Amonkira, Lord of Hunters, grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true and my feet swift. And should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness." Then the assassin vanished.

_on the catwalk;_

There was a keeper working at a console station on the catwalk across from her. Shepard couldn't help but remember what Vigil had told her about them. It sent a chill down her spine. Shepard watched Talid below her spouting anti-human propaganda. He also did not seem to be too fond of the council she had sacrificed lives to save. She hoped that he did not get elected. A darker part of her hoped someone_ would _assassinate him, just not Kolyat. She had time to briefly wonder what Thane's son would think of her and his father possibly becoming involved before Thane's voice came over the com.

"Do you have the target?"

"I'm on him, Thane. He's talking to some voters. You're in position?"

"Yes," he responded as if to say "of-corse!" It irked and amused her.

"It's been wonderful talking with you all. I hope you'll come out on election day." Joram smiled at the potential voters and moved on. Shepard followed suite.

"I'm following."

Thane updated her as she passed through a couple sets of doors separating the catwalks. She watched Joram as he waited for his body guard to do some dirty work for him and shakedown a bar tender.

"What a bastard." She thought to herself. A few minutes latter he met up with some Krogan dress the same as his body guard. He told them he could feel someone watching him. Thane suggested that he'd noticed her. She suggested that maybe he had seen Kolyat despite her urge to suggest something a bit more spiteful for the insult.

"Also a possibility," Thane admitted. "There are obstructions ahead. I'll go around. Don't loose him!"

Shepard nodded. Maybe he saw her. Maybe he didn't. It didn't matter. Joram started to move. She headed through the door to get to the next area. A maintenance man stopped her. "Great..." she thought.

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing back here?" the man demaned.

"I'm uh..." She had to think fast, "I'm with Citadel Health and Safety. I'm investigating reports of vermin in storage areas around here." She nervously tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear.

"You can't be serious..."

"If I didn't have authorization how did I get in? Do you see any other doors?" She hoped this kid wasn't as smart as he looked.

"Well, there's the keeper... never mind. OK go on through, but..."

She didn't wait for him to finish before crossing the room. She didn't have time for this crap. She ran the last few feet to the next door. It opened to a balcony. She kept her pace and threw herself against the half wall that surrounded the area. There was a Drell following Talid, male. He had darker scales than Thane, more teal than green. The black patterns and stripes were also dis-similar, but he had to be Kolyat. After all, how many Drell were there running around the Citadel chasing down Talid? She saw a gun come up...

"Kolyat!" She shouted, her heart in her throat.

The young drell started, looking up in surprise at the human female clad in white armor. His mother had raised him in the old drell faith and for a moment he thought she was the goddess... No, that was impossible. His target! He turned and fired. The round hit the Krogan. Talid was getting away! He ran after him as fast as he could. He'd deal with the human later, or not.

Shepard jump of the balcony Thane was running up behind her.

"Thane," She called to him. He quickly over came and passed her. She couldn't help but be surprised and impressed. He did have Kepral's Syndrome after all.

"I saw." Thane responded gruffly.

"He's heading to Talid's apartment." She said then immediately mentally slapped herself. "Say something a little more obvious." She scolded herself.

Inside the apartment Kolyat had Joram on his knees, hands behind his head. Kolyat had a gun trained on his target, point blank. Shepard quickly took a position directly opposite Kolyat, her own gun aimed and ready. Thane took long strides up the short stair inside the door, stopping a few feet from Shepard. He was trying to slow his labored breathing, or at least control it so as not to look like he was having a hard time catching his breath. He could not appear weak. Not now.

"Kolyat." Thane called to his son.

His concern was plain on his face, but Kolyat didn't look up. He kept his gun pointed at the turian.

"This... This is a joke. _Now_? _Now_ you show up?" Kolyat's face was in a sneer.

"Help me drell! I'll do whatever you want!" Talid pleaded.

"C-sec! Puthe gun down, son!"

It was Baily. He and a turian officer were armed and serious. Not what they needed right now. Shepard didn't bother to risk a glance. She'd seen Baily before. She knew what he looked like and what he was doing here. He kept her aim true and held her stance.

"Get out of my way. I'm walking out and he's coming with me." Kolyat orderd defiantly.

"Stupid kid," Shepard thought. It looked like a classic stick up from her teen years on Earth in the slums. She knew all to well were that landed a person. Thane steeped toward his son.

"They'll have snipers outside." He advised the young drell and gestured toward the door with a low sweep of his hand.

"I don't need your help." Kolyat seethed, still not taking his eyes off his target.

The were running out of time. C-Sec wouldn't wait long. Kolyat needed to listen to his father now! Shepard aimed her weapon at a tall lamp behind Than'es son and fired.

"What the hell?" Kolyat looked over his shoulder toward the sound.

Shepard took the opportunity while he was distracted and punched him under the frill on his cheek ridge. He reeled back holding his face. He looked at her in shock. Shepard resumed her former position, but did not put him in her sights again. She hoped Thane would forgive her for hitting his son. She hoped her hand would too. The blow had hurt more than it should have through her armor.

"Talid, get the hell outta here." She told the turrian still cowering on the floor and gestured to the exit with her gun.

Shocked, the Joram Talid stumbled out of the room. "Ya, ya! I will!"

"Take the boy into custody." Baily ordered the other officer.

"You son of a bitch!" Kolyat hissed, still favoring his left cheek.

"You're father came light years to see you, Kolyat. Can't you at least hear what he as to say?" Shepard encouraged.

"I don't see why I should." Kolyat replied. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Thane stepped toward his son. He stood a few paces away from him. He lowered his head in thought for a moment then looked his son in the eye for the first time in ten years. Guilt and shame kept his head still low.

"You're angry because I wasn't there when your mother died." He began.

"You weren't there when she was _alive_. Why should you be there when she died?"

Kolyat's words were venom and they stung the open wound in his father. Thane searched desperately for the right words. Nothing he'd prepared to say seemed adequate.

"Your mother.. she woke me from my battle sleep... They killed her to get to me. It was my fault." Thane did his best not to stumble throught the words.

"_What_?" Kolyat breathed the question as he uncrossed him arms.

"After her body was given to the deep, I went to find them. The trigger men, the ring leaders. I hurt them, eventually killed them. When I went back to see you.. you were... older. I should have stayed with you."

"I guess it's too bad for me you waited so long, hu?" Kolyat spat back at his father's confessions.

Thane blinked. Tears threatened to well up. His expression pained and a little surprised at his son's bitterness. Then again, perhaps not so surprised. He had hoped that his son would understand. Even if he did, it wouldn't be enough. He had to try to help him. He was growing despirate.

"Kolyat, I've taken may bad things out of the world. You're the only good thing I ever added to it." Thane said. The words poured from his heart like water from a damn that had collapsed under the weight.

Kolyat lowered his head. Tears streamed down his face. The was hope.

Baily steeped in, "This isn't a conversation you should have in front of strangers."

Baily ordered father and son taken back to the precinct, given a room and all the private time they needed. Thane steeped toward Kolyat. He found his son's eyes and drew his gaze up to his own face. He placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder.

_C-Sec: Baily's office;_

Shepard paced inside the C-sec office. She was worried and anxious. Thane and Kolyat had been in the interrogation room a while. She hoped things were going as well as they could. She imagined Kolyat would not make it easy. Shepard had a little talk with Baily about some killings about ten years back. She subtly deflected Baily's interest from Thane. He didn't need to spend what time he had left in jail, especially for killing those responsible for his wife's death. They had deserved whatever Thane inflicted upon them.

Thane finally came out of the interrogation room. He looked less sad but not unscathed. She supposed that was a good thing or at least better than it could have been. Baily insisted that the kid needed to be punished. It was attempted murder on Talid, not to mention the round he'd put in the Krogan. Shepard used her status as a Specter to work out a lighter sentence for Kolyat. He would work for Baily doing community service. No permanent mark on his record. No jail time or fees. Lucky kid.

Thane was impressed with Shepard. What she had done for him and his son... The appreciation he felt could not be expressed as deeply as he felt it. He wanted to find a way to express his gratitude to her. He would meditate on it.

_Normandy;_

Their next stop was Pragia. Jack had a vendetta and that meant blowing up an abandon Cerberus facility on the wet, leafy world. Thane wanted to go with Shepard, but he was uncertain if his condition could handle the humidity there. Ultamently, the decision was Shepard's. He knew he would likely be left behind. The doors to Life Support opened with a hiss behind him. He could smell her before he saw her. His heart fluttered, but the nerves in his gut were gone.

"Do you need something?"

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

He noticed that her hair was not in it's usual bun on the top of her head. Instead she wore it back. As she passed him to take her seat he saw she had braided the length of it from her crown all the way down. She'd tied it off with a length of black leather. He found it quite lovely. He took a sip of tea from the ever present cup on the table, a herbal treatment for Kepral's Syndrome.

"Very well, I am... I had been recording a message for Kolyat." He moved the data pad aside.

"How are things going with him?"

"It is difficult. All things worth keeping are." He paused. "I never explained..." His condition had been aggravated after running to stop Kolyat, though it was improving in the dry air of Life Support. "I suppose the story of my wife's death took you by surprise."

"I figured you'd explain it to me when you were ready." Shepard leaned toward him slightly. Her lips were full and blushed.

"I appreciate your patience." He got up and stood behind his chair. "I kept my work clear of our home life. I assumed that would be enough to protect Irika. That memory I mentioned before..." His eyes unfocus and he re-tells the story of the laser and the sunset eyes. "That was Irika." He started pacing. "That was how I met her. She saw my targeting laser and threw herself in the way." He took his seat holding a matter-of fact posture.

"I guess she impressed you." She felt strange talking to a man she had feelings for about his wife.

"She woke me up." He leaned on the table, eyes unfocused. "Her body trembles, not fear. Indignation. Her mouth moves... 'How dare you." Thane's eyes return to the present, "You and I are trained to sacrifice ourselves to save others. How often dose a civilian step in the way of a bullet to protect someone they've never met? I thought she was the Goddess Arashu. She met my eyes through the scope and my purpose faltered."

"So how did she go from blocking your shot to having your child?" Shepard felt a twinge of jealousy. How could compete with someone like that? Would he chalk anything she did up to training?

"I had to meet her." He waved a hand. "The memory possessed and endowed me. I fell on my knees before her, begged her pardon. She introduced me to the world beyond my work. Eventually she forgave me. Later, she loved me." A smile lingered on his lips.

"You said she died..." Shepard almost whispered the question.

"I let myself become complaisant. I thought Irika and Kolyat were safe. I stayed away too long, and my enemies came for her. Batarians. A slaver ring that was preying on the outer Hanar colonies. I killed their leaders. They paid the Shadow Broker to find out who I was. They were afraid of me, so they went after her."

"You told Kolyat that you hunted her killers down."

"Irika woke me up. When she passed my body returned to it's battle sleep. I hunted her killers down. Murdered them. I was taught to grant death quickly, cleanly... to minimize suffering. Them... I let them linger." His shoulders sagged with the guilt he felt for the only lives he'd ever chosen to take.

"I would have done the same thing. They killed an innocent, your wife, to get to you." Shepard said sympathetically.

"For you and I death is business. For them, it's sport."

Thane leaned back into his chair, taking in a deep breath. Her sent was in the air. It comforted him. Her very presence seemed to ease the struggle of breathing. He could relax when she was near him in this manner.

"I haven't spoken of my wife in... I don't think I ever have. I didn't have anyone left to tell it to."

Shepard sat forward a little. She let her hands slide forward the tiniest bit. Her face was clean, a light blush in her cheeks. Her skin was smooth, creamy. He wanted to touch it. He wanted to let her comfort him more intimately than words.

"You're talking to your son again. That's huge. Don't lose sight by dwelling on the should have beens." She said softly. Concern was written over her features.

"You are correct, of corse." Thane politely nodded his agreement.

"I want to tell you..." Shepard hesitated, her throat suddenly dry, "I'm here for you, Thane. Whatever you need."

"You..." his breath caught, but it wasn't because of the Keplar's Syndrome. "You are very kind." He paused a moment considering what to say. "Thank you for listening, Siha."

"I think my translator just glitched. What did you call me?" Shepard grinned a little, polite, embarrassed.

"Siha," Thane leaded forward on the table and smiled, "Someday I'll tell you what it means."


	8. Prayers For an Angel

It would take a few days to get to Pragia from the Citadel, even in FTL flight. Shepard ordered everyone to shorter shifts as a kind of break on their way to the planet on the opposite end of the galaxy.

Shepard stood under the shower head letting the water flow over her and her thoughts wander.'Siha'. What did it mean? The word ran around in her mind a child on the first day of summer vacation. Steam filled the small, tiled room in a thick, heavy cloud. She ran her hands over her body absently in her daydreaming. She let her body fall against the shower wall exploring herself gently, liberally. A small moan escaped her lips.

"Are you alright, Shepard?" EDI interrupted.

"Yes..." Shepard groaned, irritated. "EDI, please... if I'm in the shower just... I'm fine. Ignore any sounds that aren't a plea for help or a direct command from this deck from now on."

"Yes, Commander." EDI blipped out.

Shepard put on her tan jump suit and pulled her hair back into a braid. She checked her complexation in the mirror and, satisfied, took the elevator to the Crew Deck for lunch in the mess. She'd sent Thane a message inviting him to join Tali, Garrus and herself for the light meal. He needed to get out of that room once in a while for more than missions.

Tali was sitting opposite Garrus when Shepard rounded the corner. Garrus saw her first and nodded to her with his chin. He seemed a little more relaxed than usual. His mandibles were wide in a turian smile. Tali was giggling at something he'd said. Shepard took a seat next to Tali and for a moment they both just looked at her. Neither had seen her with her hair fasioned in anything except a bun before.

"What?" Shepard said looking between her friends feeling awkward under their stares. "Do I have little Martians crawling out of my ears or something?"

"Wow, Commander..." Garrus laughed.

"Here it comes," She thought.

"You look... different, today."

That's it? That's all he could come up with? She'd expected something, well, funny!

"You look great, Shepard." Piped in Tali.

"OK, OK. I'm not your Commander, right now." She shot Garrus a playful glare. "I'm your friend, and it's not _that_ different. I just didn't ball it up." She laughed. "Now can we talk about something other than my hair?"

Rupert had cooked up some of asari gumbo he'd mentioned to Shepard when she first came abord. It was her favorite thing he made. After some light conversation and a few jokes Shepard wondered if she should check in on Thane. He hadn't joined them yet. Probably wouldn't. Tali broke into her thoughts with nudging elbow.

"So, Shepard..." Tali sounded like a little girl in the hight school bathroom about to share some juicy gossip. "There's a rumor going around that you and Thane might be... an 'item'?" She might have been smiling behind the mask. "It's a small ship, you know."

"Huh, I just remembered I've got some..." Garrus was trying to think of something non-work related to excuse himself to go do. He didn't want to hear about this. ".. stuff I gotta take care of..." He left without looking at either of them. Tali was charming and they were biologically similar, but his interest in her was disingenuous. He felt guilty about that, but he needed the distraction. She was more interested in Reagar anyway, but Reagar wasn't here.

On the originally Normandy, Shepard's attentions had been turned to Liara, and why not. Everyone liked Asari, and Liara was lovely. In light of the coldness Liara had developed, he'd hoped Shepard would turn to him. He hadn't forsaken her like Ashley had done. He was there for her. He was always there for her, and would be regardless. But this new... this Drell... he hated him for distracting her. The man was dieing. Why would she want to put herself through that? He'd better make her happy or he was going to wish for death to come a little sooner, Garrus sneered with the thought as he rounded the corner to the elevator.

"Was it something I said?" Tali asked innocently.

"Don't worry about Garrus. He'll be fine." Shepard assured her. "He's Turian. They get a little cranky, like Krogan, but not as ugly."

"So...?" Tali laughed, ignoring Shepard's attemt to change the subject. She wasn't going to drop it.

"So what?" Shepard shrugged, trying to play dumb. Now she was _glad_ Thane had stayed holed up in Life Support.

"About Thane..." Tali nudged her again.

"Oh, alright." Shepard sighed. Tali visibly sat straiter with excitement. "We've been talking... But that's all," She waved her hands defensively. "I swear!"

"Uh hu..."

Tali was trying to egg her on, but their wasn't much else to tell. Not really.

"Well, how do you feel about him?" Tali asked.

"I care for him," Shepard admitted, "and I find myself attracted to him. It's almost like I've known him for years, but there's a lot I don't know. He's open with me so he must feel comfortable with me. And when we went after Kolyat.. he seemed... familiar? It's a strange feeling. I'm not explaining it very well." Shepard felt foolish. It only made it worse when Tali didn't respond right away.

"So you like him?" was all Tali said.

"Yes, Tali, I like him." She shook her head at her young friend. "Am I losing my mind?"

Tali giggled. The sound was distorted through the mask, making it sound a little disturbing.

Thane stood just out of sight. He could see Shepard's long hair in the refection on the glass windows of the Med Bay. He'd been listening since the start of the conversation. Garrus had passed him on his was to the elevator. The turian had given him a strange look, mendables flexing. Perhaps now he understood some of it. Was he getting between them? That had not been his intention. He had held the impression that they were good friends and nothing more. Perhaps one of them had hoped for more. He would have to consider this.

His thoughts then turned to Shepard's confession to Tali. Perhaps she was not only _a_ siha, but _his_ Siha, returned to him by Arashu. Had the Gods rekindled Irika? Merged her with Shepard somehow when Cerberus rebuilt her body? Could it be possible? He returned to Life Support. He must pray and meditate before going further with this thought.

The next day Shepard was examining the Galaxy Map when Kelly's console pinged with a notice that Shepard had a new message.

"You have a new message at your private terminal, Commander."

"Thank you, Kelly."

Shepard walked down the ramp and rounded the rail to access her laptop. The subject line made her nervous. It was titles simply; "Siha". She tapped the message opened. There was only one line.

'Please come see me in the Port Observatory, when you have a moment.'

-Thane

Shepard left the deck, but took the elevator to her quarters instead. When she got there she didn't even step off the elevator. She just stood their playing with the curl of hair at the end of her braid. Finally she decided to stop fidgeting like a child and pushed the button for Crew Deck. Unconciously she held her breath until the doors opened at her destinaion.

On the Observation Deck Thane stood in the center of the window looking out on the vastness of space. The Normandy's kinetic shields rippled with blue and white waves of energy. He meditated while he waited for Shepard. He was calm, sure of everything he had questioned. His feelings for her, who she was to him regaurdless if she was Irika or not. He needed to tell her these things. He didn't want to wait any longer. Time was not on his side.

Thane had just finished a prayer to Arashu, thanking the goddess for her gift to him when he heard the doors open. He turned to greet the Commader.

"Do you need something?" He asked, keeping his features serious.

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?" She asked, confused. He _did_ send_ her _a request for her presence, right?

"Of coarse, Shepard. Join me." He motioned to the black leather sofa nearest the window with the best view. He waited for her to take her seat before he sat next to her, admiring the way her uniform accented her curves.

Shepard looked around the room. There was a lounge area across from them with a full bar and two sofas similar to the one she sat on now, facing each other and in the corner nestled a spherical juke box. Behind them there was an unused bed butted up to empty shelves lining the wall. Opposite that was desk with a small table light. She turned back to Thane, who had been watching her intently. Maybe it was the more casual setting. Maybe it was the lack of anything else being said. Whatever the reason, Shepard could feel the words boiling up out of her and she coudn't stop them.

"I've been thinking about you." She said, her eyes darted to his then away again. She was more than a little nervous about being so forward with him.

"And I _you_," Thane responded promptly, with flirty emphases when he said 'you'. "Will you hear my confession, Siha?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to hear what you had to say." Her voice was low and smooth as silk, everything she didn't feel at that moment. Her face felt warm and her stomach felt like the Normandy had just dropped ouf of FTL. She had to glance out the window to be sure they hadn't.

"I need to explain myself to you." Thane stood up and started pacing. "When I married Irika the Hanar let me leave their service to raise a family. I had no other skills so I free lanced. When Irika was killed, I perused those responsible. Once I'd eliminated them I had no goal. I accepted the Dantius commission, because I didn't know what else to do."

"I guess you're lucky we came along when we did." Shepard said. These weren't exactly the next words she thought he'd be saying.

"You're right, it was an intervention by the Gods. Looking back now, it's clear I'd resigned myself to death. I would have fulfilled my contract. If Nassana's guards caught me afterward it would have been a good death." He retook his seat and leaned forward, venturing a hand on the cushion close to where she sat. "Someone else was pushing to reach the target. Forcing me to move faster. Challenging me. I had to reach her first."

"You're alive because I wounded your _pride_?" Shepard was a little surprised at this turn of events.

"Pride is the line between a professional and a thug." He inched toward her a little more and smiled, "But I met another Siha. Few are privileged to meet even one." He looked deep into her eyes. They seemed like the oceans of Kahje after a storm to him.

"You never told me what a Siha is..." She breathed. That feeling of dropping out FTL wasn't just in her stomach anymore.

"One of the warrior angels of the Goddess Arashu. Fierce in wrath. A tenacious protector." He thought to reach for her but held back, uncertain if she would accept. "I must confess, I've come to care for you." He blinked his inner eye lids. "Perhaps I'm being foolish. We.. are very different."

Shepard's heart beat increased rapidly, pounding in her chest. Her mind was racing. Was she ready for this? Was he?

"I could never replace your wife..." She trailed off unsure of how she should contuinue this conversation.

"You wouldn't." Thane assured her. "You have your own place in my heart." He decided not to complicate the situation with an explanation of how she may _be_ Irika through Rekindling.

"I feel something for you, too, Thane. Something more than friendship." Shepard confessed. It was easier now. "I want to explore this with you, but I'm uncertain about the future. Time is something we may not have." She allowed him to take both her hands in his. They were surprisingly warm.

"This is true. It is strange I should reawaken now, when there is so little time left." He paused for a moment, feeling the warmth of her hands, the smoothness of her skin. "Without death, how do we learn to appreciate life?" He had learned this lesson almost too late. "I don't intend to let my body pass before it's time. I will watch over you." He smiled gently at her.

"I know." She smiled, releasing a hand to touch his face.

"I've never felt affection for another species. I'm... not sure what to do now." Thane told her, glancing at their hands.

"We'll just have to figure it out." She grinned.

"I look forward to the memories."

There seemed to be genuine happiness behind his words. Thane looked up at her. His smile was warm and sensual. It made her blush. His eyes flickered to her mouth and back to her eyes. He wanted to kiss her. To hold her in his arms. Shepard moved closer to him. She was not as reserved with her desire for him. Her lips were on his, warm and sweet. A moan of surprise escaped him before he returned her passion. He released her hands to embrace her, bringing her body closer to his. His arms were strong and hard around her. She felt safe in them.

Their lips parted and their tongues touched, tentatively at first, then with more vigor. She cupped his cheek in one had and drew herself to him with the other on his back. He slid a hand up between her shoulder blades to the base of her skull, working his fingers gently into her hair. It was soft, silky, strange and wonderful. The feel of it roused him. He moaned into her mouth, a deep purring sound in her ears that vibrated their lips. She moaned back.

"Siha," He breathed between kisses, "I..." Their tongues meshed and messaged each other. He pulled away. She looked at him, concerned. Her cheeks flush with passion. "I'm not sure how to ask... I need to know that I am not stealing you from... another. Someone you are already close to."

"Liara has moved on." She breathed.

"That's not who I..." He looked away.

"What are you talking about?" She was confused.

"Garrus seems... He's hiding anger. I think it's about me." His brow furrowed with worry.

"Garrus? He's a good friend. He's like family. I'm sure he's just concerned for me... I'll talk with him." She assured him then gently cupped his face in her hand until he retunred his gaze to her. "I want _you_, Thane."

He looked back at her, admiring the curves of her face, how her lips were reddened from their kiss. Her pupils were dialated more than he thought to expect in humans from hormonal changes. He needed to check on something before continuing with her.

"I am sure you are correct." He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips, placing a tender kiss on the backs of her fingers. "I must return to my meditations." He smiled and blinked both sets of lids.

Shepard watched Thane's reflection in the window as he left. She felt satisfied and hungry for more, yet she was also calm and a little tired or dizzy, euphoric even. The stars outside the ship seemed to sparkle brighter than they had and held colors she'd never noticed before. Reds, purples, blues, pinks... The ripple effect of the shields looked like water flower over the window. She remembered thinking about snokling off the coast of some tropical island just as she drifted off to a cozy sleep.

Later, after waking with a slight sense of bewilderment and a shower, Shepard went to Mordin. She was going to ask his advice, but he had preemptively prepared for her. Apparently, Thane had already come by. Mordin gave her some creams and ointments for itching and rashes.

"I care for Thane..." Shepard defended when the good doctor began his line of inquirey and warnings.

"Understand. Hormones, stress. Natural for humans, drell as well. Human/Drell relations... complex. Thane complex as well." Morrdin blinked at her.

"I haven't developed a rash." Shepard deflected. She would rather talk about a rash with the doctor than her emotional state regarding her new beau.

"Yes, new tech implants and nano tech obviously made you more resistant to irritation, even poison. Still better safe than sorry."

Mordin taped the skin under one nostril. Shepard was just embarrassed that he'd brought up the batarian bar tender on Omega.

"Will send informative vids for erogenous zones and comfortable positions for both species." Dr. Solus continued. "Enjoy yourself while you can, Shepard. I will be here watching samples grow. Less alcohol and... mood music required."

Mordin blinked uncomfortably for a second. Shepard thanked him for the meds and info, then excused herself as quickly as possible. She almost laughed at herself. "So that's what _that_ was all about..." She thought to herself remembering her interesting 'experience' between her and the vivid visuals a few hours prior.

One hour out from entering orbit around Pragia EDI located the abandon base through less than impressive means. It was simply the only area on the planet that her sensors could not penetrant. Apparently the facility still had some power if it's shields were still active. Shepard left the braid in her hair and wrapped it around itself to make a more interesting looking bun on top of her head. It was a mission, she didn't care if her hair was pretty, it just had to be out of the way. She snapped the last piece of armor into place and grabbed her visor off the desk. When she exited her room to cross the small vestibule she halted in her tracks. Thane was waiting for her. He was leaning against the rail by the elevator. He righted himself when he saw her.

"Siha..." He paused thinking better of using his name for her in a professional matter. "Commander Shepard, I want to be part of the team to go to Pragia."

"I've already assembled a team for this mission."

"Let me go with you. I need to be able to protect you."

"Thane, I appreciate your concern, but with your condition and the weather on the planet... I'm not willing to risk it if I don't have to. I want you around as long as possible. Besides, I'm a big girl. I've come back from worse. The base is abandoned. What could possibly happen? Maybe some looters or wildlife... nothing I can't handle. You know... fierce in wrath and all." She drew her weapon and pretended to fire at an unseen target. Thane tried to contain a smile.

"Very well. I will respect your wishes, Siha." Thane nodded a respectful bow.

Shepard smiled and touched his face with her gloved hand. She kissed him tenderly before getting on the elevator for. Thane joined her, keeping professional airs, and let himself off on Crew Deck. Shepard looked him over as he left the elevator. She recalled something she'd read of the information Mordin had given her. She already knew he had excellent stamina from his performance on missions... She pushed the distracting thoughts aside and contined down to the Docking Bay.

_Later;_

Thane watched from the Port Observation Deck as the explosion flashed under the clouds painting violent hues of red and orange. When he'd left her at the elevator he'd come directly here, watching the shuttle carry her down to the planet's surface. Then he'd preyed to Arashu for her protection, to Amonkira for success of the mission, Kalahira to grant a swift death to any enemies the team may face, and a painless death if they should be taken. Angel or not, it made him feel as if he could still help her in this. He watched anxiously until he spotted the shuttle returning. He released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding since the explosion. He would not run down to meet her like a silly school boy. Instead he returned to Life Support. EDI would ping his console when she was safely on board the Normandy at his request. Moments latter the sound came ringing to his ears like music. Satisfied, he poised his hands once more to thank the Gods for her safe return to him.

Shepard didn't go see Thane right away. She was wet and covered with plant matter and the blood of the mercenaries they'd unexpectedly found salvaging the compound. Not to mention the dirt and sweat that just made her feel icky and gross. She was going strait to the shower, armor and all.

_Post Shower;_

The water had felt really good on her bare skin. Now that she was clean, her hair neatly braided behind her, she could polish her armor. She sat on the sofa with a rag and wiped down each piece and put it in the closet. The fish swam absently in the tank. Kelly had been kind enough to offer to feed them for her. She'd set the orange glowing clock next to her bed to some soothing instrumentals, a little 'mood music' for her and her armor. When she was done with that she would go visit Thane. What did she call him now? Why did she have to call him anything at all? Because she wanted to. She prefered clear lines to blurry ones. They hadn't 'done the deed' so she couldn't call him her lover or her mate. They weren't married so he wasn't a husband or life partner... and boyfriend just sounded juvenile. Maybe there was a drell word she could use... she would have to look it up on the extra-net.


	9. I Will Watch Over You

"Ping" another urgent message. Great. Just what she wanted. She walked over to her laptop and clicked the new subject line, 'Ardat-Yakshi'. Before heading down to see the justicar, Shepard's eye caught on the black and white frame on her desk that held the picture of Liara.

"I will always love you, Liara." She held a corner of the frame between her thumb and two fingers for a moment, adoring the image one last time, before laying it face down on the desk. "Good-bye, Blue bird." That's what she'd called her in the privacy of their quarters. She would miss her. When this was over she would go see her again. She was still her friend, when not her lover.

Samara was meditating in a brilliant fire of biotic power surrounding her form. Shepard thought the ship aught to sing with supernatural power with all the meditating going on. Samara stopped meditating and presented the case of her daughter. Next stop, Omega.

Shepard let Thane go with her this time. He hadn't asked, but he was grateful she took him along. He hid in the shadows and watched her work the room to draw out the 'demon of the night winds'. This was danger that Shepard was unfamiliar with. She felt a little better knowing that Thane had a watchful eye on her as well as Samara.

Eventually, after talking the bar tender into free drinks for the crowd (and herself), Morinth invited Shepard to sit with her. Thane moved in so he could hear the conversation and alert Samara when they were about to leave. Morinth looked a lot like her mother, but with a darkness about her that was unsettling. They talked about art, and music, the beauty of explosions in space. It was interesting to see Shepard this way. He wondered how much of what she said was true and how much was role play.

"Let's get out of here." Morinth's words slithered out of her mouth. It made Shepard's skin crawl.

Thane tapped the com that sent a silent alarm to Samara. They followed the asari and the human to Morinth's apartment. Samara waited outside apartment door while Thane made his way around the catwalk to get a view through the windows. He watched Shepard as she examined Morinth's 'collection'. Later he learned that each item was somehow related to Morinth's fascination with death or a memento from one of her victims. The krogan statue was of particular interest. It looked just like the giant sculpture to honor the krogans during the rachni wars. Finally, Shepard got up enough nerve to sit on the sofa with Morinth. The asari moved in close to her. Thane couldn't see what was happening. Morinth was saying something and Shepard looked... odd.

"Something's happening, I think you should..." Thane radioed Samara. Before he could finish she had burst in the room.

Shepard sat dazed on the sofa for several moments while the two asari bioticly battled it out. They came to a stand still, each holding the other at bay with the full strength of their biotic abilities. Thane's own biotics had ignited around him in a thin blue fire. He had to get down there, now! He was about to run when Shepard jumped up and was standing between the two women. There was arguing between the asari and seconds later Shepard intervened by grabbing Morinth's arm, releasing her hold on Samara. Thane was in the door way in time to hear the familiar crack of snapping bone. Wisps of blue fire still licking up his form he strode briskly over to where Shepard and Samara stood.

"That was too close." His features were knitted into a firm scowl as he glowered at Samara. She looked at him as serenely as ever.

"Shepard knew the risks. She has survived unharmed and Morinth is dead. We have succeeded."

Thane kept his peace and turned his attention to Shepard. "Are you well? We should get you to the ship."

"I'm OK. I'm fine. I'll be fine..." Shepard staggard a bit and Thane caught her arm. He shot Samara a stern look before they both helped Shepard back to the ship.

Recovery only took a few hours of deep meditation in the dark quiet of her quarters. Thane had been so angry with Samara. Shepard was surprised at his reaction to the situation. Thinking of him brought more intimate thoughts to the surface. She began to meditate on them. She thought about her feelings for him and the fast approaching task of taking on the Collector Base. They could all die. Did she want to head into that unknown having never shared herself with anyone? Did she want to give that gift to Thane? Would she regret it in her dieing moments if she did not? Would she regret it if she did? No. The answer can quickly and simply to that question. She whispered a mantra to settle her nerves. If they did survive she would likely give herself to him then. Why wait to see if death spared them to share their love?

Love. She had loved Liara, but not like she... did she love him? She must if she was willing to give herself to him. Garrus loved her. The thought startled her. He was always there, following her into hell over and over. She had to go talk to him.

The doors to the main battery hissed open. Garrus turned to face his visitor, he didn't get many. Tali had stopped by a couple times, but the visits were brief and awkward. Shepard was standing a few steps in, looking at him with an expression on her face he didn't recognize.

"Shepard, need me for something?"

"Have you got a minute?"

"Sure, I was just killing time anyway." He said, casually. "I wanted to thank you again for your help with Sedonis. Whatever happens with the Collectors, or the Reapers or whatever else comes after us, I know you'll get the job done" He just couldn't shut up and let her talk. He mentally kicked himself.

"I couldn't do this without you, Garrus." She clasped her hands behind her back. Why did this have to be hard?

"Sure, you could. Not as stylishly of corse." He tugged on his beat up armor. It was the same suit that had taken the missile impact on Omega. Shepard crossed over to a bench against the wall and sat down, resting an elbow on one knee and her hand on the other. She offered a smile. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Garrus asked. He felt foolishly hopeful that she was going to 'pick' him over the drell.

"How are you doin', Garrus?"

"I'm as good as can be expected, considering we're heading into the unknown to fight the Collectors at their base of operations." He studied her face for a moment. What was she trying to get at?

"Are you ok with... I mean..." She didn't know how she was going to say this. She wasn't looking for his permission, but she didn't want to hurt him either. Poking a stick in a soft spot was only going to make it bruise.

Shepard was never at a loss for words and Garrus knew his friend well enough to know that. He eyed her again, trying to read her facial expressions and body language. Human were sometimes hard to judge.

"What did you come here to ask me, Shepard." He was getting a little annoyed.

"You're important to me, Garrus. I want you to know that. I don't know where I'd be right now with out you."

"Probably where you are now, only you wouldn't have a handsome turian to flirt with." He teased her, striking a pose. She laughed. It was a comforting sound to him.

"Ok, Garrus. I'll be strait with you. You deserve that. I want to know if you have a problem with Krios. Specifically, my relationship with him." There it was. She finally managed to spit it out. That's what she felt like she'd done. Spit.

Garrus was quiet for a moment. The disappointment he'd set himself up for had come knocking down the walls of self protection. He thought about how to respond. She was his friend, and his Commander. He respected her more than anyone else. He loved her more than anyone else. His anger melted away.

"Shepard, I won't stand in your way if you want to pursue something. I just want you to be sure you know what you're doing. Make sure you talk to Mordin and the doctor before doing... anything." His face was serious, but not stern.

"Thanks, Garrus. I knew you'd have my back." She smiled as she stood up. She didn't think it was necessary to tell him she'd already gone to see the doctor.

Shepard had just finished her meditations and was coming out of the elevator onto the Command Deck when Kelly waved her over.

"Is there something I should know?" The Commander asked.

"You might want to go check on Tali. She seems really worried about something." Kelly looked very conserved.

"I'll go down right way." Shepard left the Command Deck.

Apparently Tali had been charge with treason by the Admiralty Board. They were en route to rendezvous with the Flotilla. Hopefully this would be the last diversion. They were running out of time.

Tali was exonerated. Her father was working on sentient geth and had paid for it with his life. Tali was handling it pretty well. Shepard gave her a day off. Thane had watched Shepard from his seat on the stairs with admiration as she heroicly defended Tali without implicating her father. Shepard continued to impress him. That was two days ago. They would reach the derelict reaper to retrieve the IFF by tomorrow.

He waited for her on the Port Observation Deck. Shepard had programmed the environmental controls for that room to duplicate the conditions in Life Support. Thane had moved his things in and they spent a lot of time there together.

The empty shelves now held old hard back books as well as data pads. The desk was still empty, but he made use of it for cleaning his guns. They'd kept the bar a secret as a surprise reward for the crew, should they survive.

Shepard entered the room and sat on the sofa opposite him. She had taken to wearing the braid regularly. He preferred it to the bun. Everyone did.

"Have a few minutes to talk?"

"You needn't ask. Time for me is short, Siha. But any I have is yours to take."

"How are you feeling?" She wanted to make sure the air was dry enough for his comfort.

"No worse than ever, you needn't worry." He crossed the space between them and sat next to her, taking her hands in his. "And you? Are you well?" He knew her stress level was high.

"No need to worry about me." She smiled. "We owe ourselves a memorable vacation, when this is over. Is there anywhere you'd like to go?" She watched him as he stared into her. He thought carefully for a moment, then he focused on her more clearly.

"I would very much like to see... a desert." He smiled at her at the thought.

Shepard cupped his cheek in her hand, drawing his face to hers.

"Of corse, Mëha." Her smile brightened when he pulled back a little in surprise.

"You... know the Drell word for.." He was cut off by a gentle finger to his lips. She simply nodded happily and he smiled. He kissed the finger the removed her hand, guiding it over his shoulder and wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her deeply. He desired nothing than to have more of her. More time with her, for her... His heart ached with the pain of knowing he did not.

They broke their kiss, but not their embrace. The watched the stars fly by the window as she nuzzled into his neck. He rested his chin on her head. Her hair tickled him and he chuckled. The sound reverberated through her.

"Mëha,"

"Yes, Siha." He gave her a little squeeze. He loved the sound of his native language on her lips.

"We're going to get the IFF." She paused.

"I am going with you." He wasn't going to give her the choice, but in the end it was not in his power to deny her if she chose not to.

"Yes, but that's not what I wanted to..." She sat up in his arms, resting her hands on his chest and looking into the ink wells of his eyes. "I've never been with," she blushed and turned away. He tried to guess what she would say as he cupped a hand over her cheek and turned her to face him again.

"I have never been with anyone like you, Siha." He offered a smile. She smiled back, but there was more. That was not what she'd meant to say.

"I've never lay with a man before, Mëha." She looked a little worried.

"I know."

"How could you know?" Shepard was confused and surprised. No one, except Liara, knew that.

"You chose your name for me, Siha. Did you not learn it's meaning?"

"I was looking for a word to replace 'boyfriend' that didn't sound... childish. I thought I would use a Drell word. Did I make a mistake?"

"No, Siha." He smiled. "A 'mëha' is the used for a woman's fist man, one that she loves and who loves her. It is not used lightly. It is a shortening of Mëhana, usually used only in a pure marriage. The female version is Arasiha, especially after she enters motherhood, in honor of the goddess Arashu." He tried not to laugh as Shepard turned bright red. "I am not offended, Siha. If you must have a name for me, and that one is more intimate than you were looking for, I can help you find something more appropriate to call me."

After a moment she looked back at him. In the next few days either of them could die. If they both lived, he certainly would. But if she did indeed love him as deeply as she felt she did, he had barely skirted the issue himself...

"No, it's the right one."

"Are you sure this is what you want, Siha?" his face was gentle but serious. She smiled and then nodded. "You would have me for your Mëha?" he breathed the question.

"Yes." She kissed him. He returned the kiss with more fervor. She slid her hands to the buckles of his coat. He quickly found her fingers and stooped them. She looked at him, confused.

"Not yet, soon." He shook his head then kissed the backs of her fingers.


	10. Gone Shopping

There was yet another new member to the team, an unexpected one. A geth of all things. It had been on the derelict Reaper and had actually spoken to her, by name! More than that, it helped him. Hell, it probably saved their organic asses. Thane had suggested taking it and Tali agreed for more research related reasons, which had surprised Shepard considering what she'd just gone through with the Admiralty Board.

Garrus was not at all happy when_ 'it' _was drug aboard, but there was nothing he could do beyond protest. It seemed Shepard always got her way with him... wait, that metaphor just when somewhere... interesting. He pushed the thought away. Her interests were being pulled elsewhere and he respected her enough to leave it at that. She was his best friend in the galaxy and he just wanted her to be happy. She deserved to be happy. He didn't. If he was lucky enough to have her near him, he would take whatever attention she gave him and appreciate it for what it was. Who was he to ask more of her than that? He decided to have a chat with Thane while the commander was distracted with the geth.

Thane was in Life Support. Even with the environmental adjustments Shepard had made in the observation deck, he found the air in here slightly more comfortable. Maybe it was because it was a smaller space. Maybe it was because this was where they'd had all their previous conversations and he was just being sentimental. The doors hiss open behind him, interrupting his wondering thoughts. He was surprised to see Garrus walk in. He didn't stand to greet the turian, but he mentally prepared himself for the worst.

"I need to talk to you." said Garrus. He didn't look angry. That was about all Thane could get out of the turian's's face.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked politely.

"Look, I know you and Shepard are..." The turian trailed off and seemed to steel himself. "You'd better protect her. If anything happens to her, if you hurt her," Garrus steeped toward the drell, mandibles twitching, a claw pointed in Thane's face. "I'll make sure you regret it before I..."

Thane was not a fan of being threatened. He stood and took a step back. He didn't want to physically harm the turian. He was Shepard's friend and he was only doing what he felt he needed to do. Garrus' posture was aggressively defensive as if Shepard were dieing, wounded behind him on some feral world.

"I understand your concern. You needn't worry. I would give my life for her, should it be required." He half bowed to the turian, never taking his eyes from him.

Garrus lowered his claw. His mandibles were still twitching. He regarded Thane for a moment before storming away. He'd made his point. In the battery he continued checking the calibrations for the up grades. All this drama exhausted him more than killing husks. He punched in the locking sequence for the door into his console and decided to take a nap.

The IFF retrieval was a success. Legion, the name EDI suggested for the geth, was helping with it's installation. The Heretics, newly reviled by Legion to be the geth that sided with Saron, had been rewritten to no longer worship the Reapers. It seemed they might have a chance against the Reapers. The shields were up graded along with the hull plating and weapons systems. Their fuel efficacy had been improved. Things were going well.

Shepard was studying the galaxy map. EDI had told her that while she was running diagnostics to ensure the IFF was working properly, Shepard would have to take the shuttle if she wished to leave the Normandy. She wanted to make a short stop on a nearby planet to pick up some extra supplies at a small space port. They would only be planet side a couple hours, but it would take an hour to get there in the shuttle. Shepard programmed in the bearings and headed to the Kodiak.

"Everyone will meet you in the shuttle, Commander." Miranda's voice came over the intercom.

"Ok. Joker, the ship is yours. Take care of her."

"Aye, aye, Commander."

The shuttle darted away. Shepard stood with Garrus on one side and Thane on the other against the back wall. The passenger compartment was full to capacity with every member of the team on board. They all wanted to pick up something or just wanted to get off the ship one last time. Mordin seemed the least uncomfortable. Must come from being salarian, Shepard mused. Grunt took up the most room was squishing Tali into a corner. She was protesting, but there wasn't much to be done about it.

"Ag, give me some room you over grown bosh'tet!" She was beating her fists against Grunts armor.

"You quarians should be used to limited space." He laughed at her.

"Limited space is not the same as being crushed!" she protested. Shepard motioned for Grunt to give her more room. He slid a few steps over witch seamed to give Tali enough room to satisfy her.

"Thank you." Tali shook her head and looked at the Krogan, brushing off imaginary dust. Miranda and Jacob were in the cockpit, along with Samara. Jack sat on a bench next to Zaeed, who would occasionally look at her with a wary eye. Mordin sat on the bench with Legion next to where Thane stood. He was tapping way on his omni-tool. When they reached the space port everyone was more than happy to pile out of the Kodiak and go their own way.

"Ok, everybody. Meet back here in 90 standard minutes." the Commander instructed before they could get out of ear shot. To her surprise Thane was wondering off too. She didn't follow. She had a shopping list too.

Shepard had just packed the last of the supplied she'd picked up in the cargo hold of the shuttle. There were 60 minutes left before everyone would return. She leaned against the hull with her arms crossed and looked around. The landing bay was empty save a few crates and vermin. A few moments later she spotted Thane making his was toward her.

"Hey, stranger." She smiled at him. He returned the smile. He seemed very pleased with himself about something. He had a small package in hand. "What's in the bag?" She asked, curious.

"Some herbs for tea." He replied.

"I didn't know a small space port like this would have tea."

"Nor did I. It is fortunate." He tucked the package into a corner of the cargo hold and returned to stand in front of her. She expected him to say something else and instead he slowly moved toward her, placing each of his hands on the shuttle behind her to either side of her shoulders. He'd 'trapped' her.

"What are you doing..." Her face was serious, but her tone playful.

He didn't answer her with words. In half a second he was inches from her face, his body pressed against hers, pinning her with his hips. It startled and excited her. This was a side of him she'd not seen. He found her lips with his. She started to wrap her hands around him, in a flash he had grabbed them and pinned them to the shuttle with a light 'thud'. He wasn't going to relinquish any control. She gasped in surprise. He responded by rolling his hips a little. She had worn her civies to the port. She could feel his 'drell hood', pressing against her. She moaned, and he purred back. He took her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking in gently, teasing it with his tongue, slowly morphing into a full kiss. She broke the kiss to breath. Now it was her turn to have difficulty with air.

"The others will be back soon." Her face was flushed, her lips red, eyes dilated. Her chest rose and fell in heavy pants. Beautiful. He slowly released her.

"You are correct, of corse." He smiled a mischievous grin as he half bowed. He locked his hands behind him. They stood that way just looking at each other. Seconds latter Shepard got a beep on her omni-tool. It was a message from the Normandy. It was marked 'EMERGANCY -EDI'. She clicked the file. A rock settled in her gut. The Collectors had boarded the Normandy. The crew, save Joker, was gone. She glanced up at Thane. He saw the panic in her eyes and concern knitted his features. Her hand flew to the com.

"Everyone, back to the Kodiak, NOW!" She shouted the order into her omni-tool. The urgency in her voice was unmistakable.

"Siha, what has happened?" He was by her side. He reached for her and she pushed his hands way. He let them hang by his hips. She looked at him. She was blinking back tears of anger.

"The Collectors found the Normandy." She saw his eyes widen. "They took the crew." He nodded and got on the shuttle.

Garrus was first to arrive, running across the bay. Grunt and Jack were close behind. Jacks clothes looked more disheveled than usual and Grunt was snapping on a pice of armor. She would investigate this later, maybe. Maybe she didn't want to know. Miranda and Jacob came from a different direction with Samara hot on their trail. She'd designated herself to 'watch' them in case they did something Cerberusy. Mordin and Legion were also running across the bay. Mordin tailed the geth whenever he could to study him.

"Where's Tali?" she shouted to Miranda.

"She's right behind us!" She shouted back. Everyone else plowed strait onto the shuttle while Miranda jogged to a halt in front of Shepard, panting. "She was... right behi.." Tali appeared running between two crates at full speed. "There." Miranda pointed.

"OK, OK. Everyone on board. Move!" She waved at Tali to hurry. Tali collapsed on a bench beside Mordin when she reached the shuttle. The doors where still closing when the Kodiak lifted off and blasted back to the Normandy.

"What's going on, Shepard?" Garrus asked for all of them.

"The Collectors found the Normandy. Joker and EDI saved the ship, but the crew was taken." She told them flatly. No need to soften it.

"Keela..." Tali breathed.

Shepard, Jacob and Joker were waiting for Miranda in the com room. She had went strait to her office to make sure any sensitive material was intact and untouched. Joker was sitting on the oblong console and Jacob was the doors hissed open and Miranda barged in very angry.

"Everyone? You lost everyone and nearly lost the ship too?" She was ready to jump through Joker.

"I know, alright. I was here."

"It's not his fault, Miranda. None of us caught it." Jacob defended Joker. EDI biped to life behind Joker.

"Mr. Taylor is correct. The harmful data in the Collector drive was even more sophisticated than the Black Box Reaper viruses I was given."

"Joker, are you ok?" Shepard asked.

"There's a lot of empty chairs out there, Commander."

"Is the ship operational?"

"The Reaper IFF is clean and online. With EDI hooked in we can go through the Omega-4 Relay any time we want."

"Don't even get me started about unshackling the damned AI." Miranda glowered at Joker, her arms crossed.

"Well, what can I do against Collectors? Break my arm at them?" Joker narrowed his eyes at her. "EDI cleared the ship. She's alright."

"I assure you, I am still bound by protocalls in my programming. Even if I were not, you are my crew mates." EDI piped in.

"Thank you EDI." Shepard nodded to the AI and EDI sighed out.

"I vote we rescue the crew." Jacob was itching for pay back.

"Well, we've done all we can do. There's nothing holding us back now." Miranda agreed.

"I agree. Let's go get our people back." Shepard said, narrowing her eyes.

"Just hit up the galaxy map whenever you're ready, Commander." Joker eased himself off the table and hobbled away.


	11. Break Down to Love

Everyone left the room. Shepard grabbed onto the edge of console table and fell to her knees. The weight of what had happened and what they were rushing in to face, everything that had happened with her team, between her and Thane... it all came crashing down at once. Her chest tightened and there was a lump in her throat. She let go of the table and put her face in her hands. She pulled away in surprise. They were wet. Was she crying?

"Pull yourself together, solder!" She commanded herself. She forced herself to her feet, staring at the floor. Something gently touched her back. She jumped and turned to face the intruder. It was Thane. His brow was knitted in concern. He opened his arms to her and she fell into them, silent tears streaming down her face. He rested his lips and chin on her head and tenderly stroked her braided hair. He didn't speak. He just held her, and hummed a low soothing purr. It comforted her.

"Even siha's need time to put down their arms and gather strength to pick them up again." He thought as he hummed to her. He had done this for Kolyat when he was young and scraped his knee. He had held Irika when he'd found her hiding herself, crying, after he'd told her of his condition. Now he held his Siha in the wake of great loss and on the cusp of a great battle. She needed him as much as he needed her. He would not abandon her again.

Thane had been there for her in a time of weakness. She had felt ashamed that he'd seen her that way, but she needed him. So she had let him comfort her. After she'd gathered her strength, she had gone directly to the galaxy map and set a corse for the Omega-4 Relay. It would take almost ten hours before they would reach it. In her quarters, Shepard sat at the small desk on the lower level of the 'loft'. All her fish had died. Just another reminder of the loss and the threat. It steeled her resolve to get her crew, and anyone else she could rescue, back asap. She was reading a data pad with all the info they had gathered about the Collectors. It wasn't as much as she'd hoped. It barely filled the memory capacity of the pad. She looked up when she heard the hiss of the doors to her cabin open. Thane appeared in the doorway. He found her immediately with his eyes and locked onto her. He took each step deliberately, gracefully toward her.

"Thane." she breathed his name.

His hands were lax at his sides. His face had a seriousness about it, stern. He spoke her name,

"Siha, I..." his sternness softened as the sound left his lips. He turned way from her and began pacing. "I have know I would die for many years. I've tried to leave the galaxy better than I found it. You've helped me archive more than I thought possible. We've righted many wrongs. I've spoken to my son." He focused on a stylus on her desk simply because it was there. "I should be at peace on the eve of battle." He said as he turned sharply to face her, taking a few steps toward her. His features stern again, almost angry.

Standing, she rounded her chair, placing a hand gently on his arm.

"Stop, Don't give me a speech." Her words were soft, but firm. His eyes lost their austerity. He shook his head and looked at the floor before looking back to her face.

"I'm ashamed." He admitted. His features changed to sorrow and worry as his brow furrowed.

He was being more honest with her than he'd been with anyone, even Irika. He worried that she would see him weaker because of it. Shepard reached up to touch his face. He watched her hand a moment, unsure of what she was going to do. She barely touched him and he inhaled sharply, jerking his face away from her hand. He gently, but firmly took her wrist and pushed it away. The light from the tanks caught on the ring of his irises, making them shine like silver. He looked at her and then her hand. His expression abruptly changed. He seemed unsure of himself. He turned his back to his Siha and walked over to the table. He focused on the data pad on Shepard's desk. Thane thought of the memories of all the evils he'd done, the losses he'd suffered, the impending doom they were running to... of Irika and Kolyat. A tear ran down his cheek and it angered him. A sneer marred his face. He punched the desk as hard as he could and continued to push, as if he could break through the steel. Pain shot up his arm from the impact, he ignored it. He looked over his shoulder at Shepard. She could see the wetness on his face, her own furrowed with concern and pain for him. The knot in her gut heavy, her heart ached for a way to comfort him.

"I've worked so hard. Meditated and preyed and done good deeds." Shepard glanced at his fist on her desk, then back to him. He turned his gaze back to the data pad. "Atoned for the evils I've done. Prepared." Thane shook his head. His fist had started slipping under the presser he kept on it. "I consider my bodies death, and a chill settles in my gut."

Shepard had walked silently up behind him and tenderly eased her hand over his fist, the other onto his back. He turn his face up to hers.

"I am afraid and it shames me." He stands to turn his body to hers. She slips her hand from his back to his cheek. His head is lowered, his eyes wet with tears. His brow is furrowed where her face has become serine. She doesn't know what she's going to say until she says it,

"Thane,"

He looks into her eyes. They are like the sea. Her soft hand, warm on his cheek. Her smell, a sweet musk.

"Be alive with me tonight." she breaths the words to him and his brow furrows, now in surprise as words spoken long ago to comfort him are spoken again. She kisses him. He leaves his partially open, looking at hers in disbelief and with such emotion. He closes his eyes and returns the kiss, new tears welling with the joy of having her with him. Shepard eased his coat off his shoulders, exposing the black-speckled vibrant green scales hidden there. Thane pulled his hands out of the arms and let the leather crumple on the floor. Shepard admired the stripe patterns that curved over his shoulders, around the back of his biceps and top of his four-arms. She traced them with her fingers. She looks back to his face to find him blinking back the tears, but he has a small, warm smile playing at the corners of his mouth. She keeps her eyes on his, letting her hands ease over the leather to find the snaps on the vest.

'Click... click... click.' Her nimble fingers find the zipper pull. It made a soft 'pft' sound. Her eyes follow her hands as they slip under the leather and glide over his stomach, chest then shoulders until the vest slides down his arms to join the coat on the floor. She trailed her finger over the stripes that lead from his head, down his neck and tapper to a point at the hollow of his throat. She returns her hands to his hard chest. She can feel his heart beat quicken at her touch. His scales are smooth as polished stone. Distorted light from the tank plays over the surface in dull flashes. She leans in to nuzzle his neck. He embraces her. His bare arms around her are strong and warm. She slides her cheek over his. She tentatively kisses on of the red, fleshy folds under the frill of his cheek. It sends a shiver of pleasure up his spine and he moans. She takes a fold in her mouth and runs her tongue gently along it's edge down to the front of his troat. He lets his head fall back, fully exposing his throat to her. A moan escapes his parting lips. She moves to the other side, sliding her tongue down a fold to the center of his throat. He moans again. She fingers the strange hardware Thane wears atop his collar bone. It is the color of a storm cloud with diagonal markings. It dips into a thinner curve where his collar bone dips above his chest. It has a dull sheen that seems to absorb light instead of reflect it. Thane watches her inspect his jewelery, then places a hand over hers.

"It was a gift, long ago." He looks into her eyes. She understands and lets him guild her hand to his face. He kisses her gently, firmly. Their lips part as their tongues mesh to taste the other's sweetness. He can feel her hear pounding in her chest as well as his own. He pulls her tightly to him. She slides her lips from his to tease his neck again. He rolls his head, allowing her access. He purrs and the low, deep sound rumbles through her. This time the vibration excites her. Her breathing becomes heavier. Her breath on the moisture she has left on his skin tingles. The folds blush a brighter red and swell. Something in his leathers swells as well. She can feel him press against her hips. Her eyes follower her fingers as she works her hands down over his body. Two more stripes arch over his hips descending along the 'V' of his abs and disappearing into his trousers. She finds the zips and snaps of his pants. With them undone she guides him to sit on the edge of the bed. She removes his boots and pulls them down over his legs. Similar black, asymmetrical stripes decorate the tops of his thighs and swell of his caves. She lets her fingers brush over them.

Thane purrs at the softness of her touch. He places his hand on her bare shoulders and smiles. Standing, he finds the latches and zippers on her jump suit. He pulls each arm warmer off, leaving kisses down each arm. He pauses in the bend of her arm with a lingering kiss and a vibrating moan. It sends a tickling sensation over her body. He stands before her with his hands at his sides. Shepard removes the collar and slips the leather straps over her shoulders. The jump suit puddles around her feet. Thane reaches behind his back and produces a blade. Only a little surprised at the assassin, Shepard gives him a wary smile. He smiles back as if to say 'trust me,' but there is cunning behind it.

The coolness of the blade against her skin gives her shivers as he slides it between her hip and her beige, military issue panties. With a single, fluid motion he cuts through the fabric. The undergarment joins her jump suit. Next he slips the blade between her breasts. He makes quick work of the bra. Thane steps back to admire her form. The round plumpness of her breasts seemed to beg his touch. Her nipples were pink and hard with arousal. Her skin was creamy and smooth over her toned muscles. The slight roundness of her stomach and the navel that adorned it was voluptuous. Her hips curving out and tapering down to her legs. A little patch of red hair adorned her mound. He could smell her more so now than ever. The sweet musk of her arousal caused his drell-hood to throb with desire. Shepard grasped the braid at the base of her skull and brought it around to loosen it. She worked her fingers through the strands slowly until she had released the locks from their bondage. She let the tresses fall around her shoulders and down her back in waves. The color of her hair made her eyes brighter, even in the dimness of the room.

"You are beautiful, Siha." He couldn't hold back much longer. He handed her the blade. She took it with a grin. She carefully slipped the blade beneath the black silk of his undergarment, and with a flick of the blade, removed it. He stood before her, fully erect. The rim of the head encircling the circumference of his member completely. The scales of his body thinned and dispersed at the base, exposing coloring and pattern that echoed that of his lips. The surface was slick with a natural lubricant his drell body produced.

"You are magnificent, Mëha." Shepard was in awe of his alien form. She found him so intriguing, so beautiful. His muscles were tight and wiry beneath his flesh, tempting her to feel them. She stepped out of her shoes toward him. He motioned to the bed with a low sweep of one hand and offered her the other. She took it and walked with him, eyes locked, until they lay on the bed together. Their hands explored each other's bodies, finding the parts that were both unfamiliar and familiar. She wanted to taste him, but he stopped her. He shook his head.

"Hallucinations." he whispered to her, and drew her up to face to face with him. He kissed her, slow and deep. He found her folds with his webbed fingers and messaged them. Shepard moan softly, but more loudly than before. She was wet and her labia had swollen and blushed to a bright pink. His petting, an artful skill she was grateful he had. The feel of his fingers on her secret brought a fire to her loins. She messaged him in return with long, even strokes. The scattering of scales over skin felt exotic. He explored her breasts and hardened nipples with his tongue teeth. She responded with a sharp inhale. His purr growing louder until it became a groan that reverberated through her. He wrapped his arms around her and vigorously kissed her, forcing her onto her back. He rolled himself onto her, pressing his body onto hers. She wrapped her legs around him, pressing herself against him. He bore his hips down onto hers, sliding himself between the folds without entering her. Their breathing was heavy, becoming frantic. His lips ghosted over the skin of her collar bone to the hollow of her neck, leaving a wet kiss there. Hands caressed and groped with need. He pumped his hips, sliding up and down, exciting her further and preparing her for him. The lubricant excited her skin, a tingling warmth growing in her loins. She pushed her hips hard into him. His body was hard and heavy on hers. She could feel his muscles rippling beneath the scaly surface. Her desire for him was driving her mad.

"I want you, Mëha." she breathed heavily. "I need you." She put a hand on either side of his face forcing him to expose his neck to her. She licked the folds of his throat.

Thane groaned loudly and shook his head free from her. He looked deep into her with the onyx orbs of his eyes. He took her mouth in a passionate kiss and he positioned himself to enter her. She lifted her hips and he pulled back. She looked at him, about to ask a question. He spoke in a deep, low tone before she could.

"Are you sure..." he breathed the question into her ear.

"Please..." She moaned. As if she would give him any other answer at this point. Did he want to hear her beg?

"I will be gentle, Siha." His breath on her neck ignited a fire in her.

"I know." she breathed.

He forced himself inside her a little at a time. As he spread her, her body tensed. She dug her fingers into his shoulders. She moaned. He kissed her cheek and jawline to her chin and down her neck, a deep purr vibrating in his chest. He ventured a little further in. She let out a soft cry. He could feel himself pressing against the skin that would allow him to claim her. He waited for her to relax. She breathed in heavy, long sighs, finally opening her eyes to look into his. He wanted to see her eyes when he took her. He pushed a little harder. She tensed, but did not look away. Her lips were parted with the anticipation of a moan. He could feel the membrane tearing under his advancement into her body. Just before he broke though he wrapped his arms under her and held her close to him.

"I love you." he purred and took her. The pain forced tears from her eyes. She cried out and clung to him with all her strength. He pushed himself completely inside her, a cry of pleasure escaped his lips as he watched her arched her back, and gasp, and moan his name,

"Thane..."

He slid his hands up her back and brought them around her face, wiping away the tears with his thumbs. She looked at him, panting and moaning. He held her gaze and rolled his hips. She cried out and tried to arch her back. She tried to pull away, but he held her in place with his body. He used her struggle to push deeper into her. He felt her hot and wet around him, squeezing him. He could feel the end of him pushing past her cervix. She cried out and gasped for air, bliss and pain racking her body. Thane pumped himself in and out of her, slowly, tenderly, completely with every stroke. He could hear their wetness together with each thrust. His own moans and cries joined hers. He trailed a hand up her trembling form, over her firm, plump breast to her hip and then her thigh. Thrusting himself into her, feeling her body respond in ecstasy, flexing around him. He was nearing the edge of his control. He could see her love for him in her eyes, taste it in her kiss, feel it in the quivering of her body, hear it in her breath, smell it in their love. She tried to thrust back, but he pined her down every time, forcing a cry of pain and pleasure from her reddened lips. He loved her long and hard, but tenderly with kisses and caresses. He ran his fingers through her hair and over her curves. He found her knees with his hands and forced them wide, pinning them to the mattress. He wanted to be with her. Needed her, to be inside her, a part of her. He felt alive with her. Shepard was past the edge of clear thought. Her world became smells of his strange, dry musk and the feel of him pulsing inside her. He filled her completely, and a little more. His lips and hands caressed her body.

She could feel him climaxing insider each time she did with a powerful gush of fluid. She trembled beneath his dominating passion. He had told her he loved her as he took her. The words and emotions that came with them were a fire in her mind now. She was getting close. She could feel the burning urgency and increasing exhilaration mounting up inside her. She could feel him pulsating, thrusting. She could feel every curve of him, every scale that probed her body. He touched her in ways not possible for human males. His breath was heavy and hot on her neck, his kisses wet and amorous. His fingers wove through her hair when he cupped the back of their head and neck, making love to her for the first and possibly last time. His moans were loud purrs and bits of voice. His groans were a low, deep sound in his chest that sent shivers through her. He breathed her name when he entered her fully,

"Siha".

Her hair and body were wet with sweat. Her loins screaming with the intensity of his sex. She cried out his name as he plummeted into her with such vivaciousness she could barely retain her sanity.

"Mëha... ah..." Her back arched, pressing herself hard against him. She rung the sheets in her fists or dug her fingers into his back. She frantically licked and kisses his neck and mouth. His hips pulsed and rolled on top of her.

"Mëha..." An explosion of ecstacy enraptured her, sending blinding light into her mind.

Her body writhed beneath him as she cried out with a series of loud moans meshed with his name. The flood gates opened as her climaxes reached their zenith, soaking him from waist to knee. He reached his apex in time with hers. He could see himself hard and pulsing as her flesh rose around where he throbbed inside her. His release was crippling. Just before he collapsed beside her, chest heaving, their bodies erupted in blue biotic flame. She felt his climax rupture into her body, felt his yield fill her. He pulsed inside her in the wake of his passion. Her own body, twitching from exhaustion and euphoria. He slid out of her, stringing juices across her thigh as more poured out of her, and collapsed on the beside her.

They were both panting heavily. The clear liquids and blood mingled and soaked the sheets. The smell of their coitus filled their nostrils with a strong, sweet musk. When their breathing had calmed to a normal pace Thane rolled onto his side to look at her. She was already looking at him, her face turned to him on the pillow. Her fiery hair tossed and unkempt around her shoulders. She beamed a satisfied grin at him. He gave her a toothy one in return and trailed a finger over her chest, down her abdomen, dipping into her belly button to rest on her hip.

"I love you, too." Shepard sighed .

Thane chuckled and kissed her lightly on her reddened lips. She was more lovely than ever with the flush in her cheeks from their passions and the glow of her skin. Eventually she got up to take a shower. They needed to rest before they reached the relay. Thane cleansed himself with some towlettes and changed the bedding. He was waiting for her under the sheets when she emerged, hair braided, from the bathroom.

She crawled into the bed next to him and he took her into his arms. They pressed their nude bodies together. She cuddled against him and nuzzled his neck. He nestled his face into her hair. The rest of the universe disappeared in these moments they had together. They slept peacefully in each others arms. Shepard woke about six and a half hours later. Thane was sitting in her box chair, fully dressed, watching her sleep. She sat up with the sheets pulled to her neck and brought her knees to her chest.

"How long have you been sitting there?" she asked, smiling.

"Not long." he answered. He looked worried, "Are you well? Did I... hurt you? The information Mordin gave me informed that a human woman may not be able to handle..."

"Is that what's bothering you?" She cut him off before he embarrassed himself. "I'm fine. Some pain and soreness is to be expected with... the first experience."

He shifted something in his hands. "I was going to give you this after the mission.." He paused a moment, considering his words carefully. "You have given me many gifts, Siha, and now you have given me yourself. You have made me your Mëha. I wanted to give you something tangible in return that might represent what I feel for you."

He got up and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, he continued to conceal the object in his hands. "I'm unsure of how humans proceed in such an event. Drell do not usually move so quickly into a relationship such as ours. Given the circumstances, I believe we will be pardoned." He paused again. Shepard sat, waiting patiently for him to continue. "I found this in the last space port we visited. I was surprised to find it there. The volus merchant believed it to be something less than it is." He handed her a palm-sized, black velvet box.

Thane nervously glanced between the box in Shepard's hand to her face. Shepard opened the box. It wasn't a diamond, and she was glad. She wasn't really a diamonds kind of girl. Coiled on itself was a flat, silvery ribbon of metal. It reflected the light of the tanks with a dull, blue glow.

"Thane, what is this?" she asked.

"Only a gift." he smiled faintly.

Shepard picked up the coil and let it uncurl from her finger tips. It was a necklace by the look of it. Not what she would expect from someone like Thane. The surface bore similar markings to the ornament around Thane's own neck. She was admiring it in her hand when she noticed an inscription, 'Love of Two is One'. It was in his script.

"It's beautiful, Thane, I..." He hushed her with a finger to her lips.

He stole it from her grasp and slipped it over her head, threading the braid through to let it rest on her bare skin. He turned it so the inscription lay hidden against her skin above her heart. It felt cool, but not uncomfortable. It laid against her body as if it were her own skin, in a circle around her neck, thinner and dipping along the hollow of her neck.

"A symbol of our union, Siha." He caressed her arms with his finger tips. He let them leave her neck, ghosting over her skin to her hands. He took hers in his own, warm and secure. He looked deeply into her eyes, a tender smile on his lips that only she saw.

"Mëha..." She didn't know what to say. She hadn't expect sensitivity from an assassin.

Shepard shifted to sit on her knees, bringing her closer to him. She let the sheets fall away, and took his face in her hands. She kissed him, serenely. His hands floated up to her hips and slowly drifted up her ribs to glide over her smooth skin onto her back. He brought her closer to him in the gradual embrace, until she felt his hard body beneath the leather. He deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth sensually with his tongue. EDI bliped on her console, but her 'face' was pointed away from them. It was as if the AI was showing embarrassment for intruding or trying to let them maintain some level of privacy.

"We are approaching the Omega-4 Relay in one hour, Commander." and she blinked out without waiting for a reply.

Thane broke this kiss, but kept his lips on hers and his eyes closed, letting the moment linger a bit longer before he must let it ebb away. He felt her sigh, heavily in his arms.

"I must meditate and prey for the battle ahead." Thane spoke in a low purr, his lips ghosting the words on hers. Shepard nodded and he released her against his wishes. When he had gone, Shepard did some meditating of her own.


	12. Don't Fear the Collectors

The ship was badly damaged. They had just crash landed the Normandy onto the shell of the Collector base. She had holes in her hull from the intrusion of the ocular probe. Shepard had managed to take it out with the help of Grunt and Jack. They both enjoyed blowing up big things. Why not let them have a little fun before the crap storm (that didn't involve each other)? The plate shielding was torn and the kinetic barriers were off line. The station seemed to have a barrier of it's own, keeping them safe from being lost to space.

"Joker, are you ok?" Shepard asked

Joker groaned, "I think I broke a rib, or all of them. Aag."

"Multiple core systems overloaded during the crash. Restoring operation will take time." EDI informed her.

"We all knew this was likely a one way trip." Miranda was in the cockpit with Joker and Shepard, her arms crossed.

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop the collectors, but I plan to live to tell about it." Shepard was not going to let the moral fall apart now.

"I'm glad _you're_ in charge." said Joker and his nimble fingers flew over the orange glow of the ships controls, checking systems and beginning emergency seals and repair detail programming to EDI. "What's next?"

"How long until the Collectors find this landing zone?"

"I do not detect a internal security network. It is possible the Collectors did not expect anyone to reach the base." EDI said.

"Well, if we're lucky,"Joker looked back at Shepard. "and their external sensors were hit like we were, they might not know we're alive."

"Joker, you and EDI get the Normandy back on line. Miranda, gather everyone else in the briefing room. We need a plan."

Her team assembled before her ready to thwart the Collectors. Miranda and Jacob were cleaning their weapons. Shepard saw the looked on Jacobs face when the two looked at each other in a silent communication. It was good that they had patched things up before the end. She took her position at the head of the console table. She leaned on the edge with both hands.

"This isn't how we planed this mission, but this is where we are." Commander Shepard addressed her team. This was why they were all here. "We can't worry about whether the Normandy can get us home. We came to stop the Collectors, and that means coming up with a plan to take out this station." She paused for only a second before hailing the AI."EDI, bring up your scans."

The image of the Normandy was absent and in it's place a 3D schematic of the Collector base appeared. Thane intently studied the hollo for any strategic weaknesses. EDI's voice came over the intercom.

"You should be able to overload their critical systems if you get to the main control center here." a blue indicator appeared near the top of the schematic. Jacob activated his omni-tool.

"That means going through the heart of the station, right past this massive energy signature." the central chamber in the image changed from the orange to a blue glow.

"That's the central chamber. If our crew or any of the colonists are still alive, the Collectors are probably holding them in there." said the Commander. Jacob taped on his omni-tool again.

"It looks like there are two main routes. Might be a good idea to split up to keep the Collectors off balance, then regroup in the central chamber." His words materialized on the glowing Collector base with blue indicators.

"No good, both routes are blocked. See these doors? The only way past is to get someone to open them from the other side." Mirada pointed out the flaw in his plan.

"It's not a fortress, there's got to be something." Shepard leaned on one elbow to examine the schematic on her console. "Here, maybe we can send someone in through this ventilation shaft." a blue marker appeared on the main model.

"Practically a suicide mission." Jacob narrowed his eyes at the image. "I volunteer." He'd hoped to impress Miranda. They were talking again, even warming each other in the cold of the night. But she didn't want more than that from him. He wanted more from her, though.

"I appreciate the thought, Jacob, but you couldn't shut down the security systems in time." Miranda saw right through him. "We need to send a tech expert." She looked to Shepard.

"It's your call, Commander. Who do we send into the shaft?" Jacob's eyes were narrowed at being called out by Miranda.

Shepard rested both elbows on the console in heavy thought; "Jacob has volunteered, but he is a solder, not a tech. I agree with Miranda on that. Mordin is practically a savant, but his expertise lie in the biological. Garrus can sabotage pretty much any system, but his tech skills may not be enough for _Collector_ tech. Tali is revered as a mechanical genius, even among her own people. She thrives in the face of technical problems that require intelligence. Thane had agreed to come partially because it was a suicide mission and he felt that would help exonerate his past. He has experience with ventilation shafts..." she almost laughed at that being a qualifying trait. "Legion! Why didn't I think of that before? He_ is_ tech. He has already demonstrated the ability to hack into Collector and Reaper tech. And he's a machine. Sentient or not, if he's destroyed then it isn't a loss of organic life." She looked back up and found the geth among her remaining crew. She stood up right.

"Legion, you can hack through anything. You will go into the shaft."

'They' nodded.

"The rest of us will break-up into two teams and fight down each passage. That should draw the Collectors' attention away from what you're doing." She said, looking to Legion.

"I'll lead the second fire team, Shepard. We'll meet up with you on the other side of the doors." Miranda moved to take her rightful position as second in command by Commander Shepard's side.

"Not so fast, cheerleader. Nobody wants to take orders from you." Jack pointed a finger at Miranda. Garrus nodded his head.

"I don't want you leading the second team. Half of us don't even trust you." Garrus agreed.

"This isn't a popularity contest." Miranda cut the protests down with a slicing motion of her hand through the air. "Lives are at stake." She looked to the Commander. "Shepard, you need someone who can command loyally through experience."

"Miranda is second in command on the ship, but I can't have the team second guessing the person in charge." Miranda looked a little disappointed and returned to her previous spot next to Jacob. Shepard thought immediately of Garrus. _She_ trusted him and the rest of the crew seemed to as well. He was excellent under fire and had the experience of heavy combat. As a side effect this may give him back the confidence he once had before being betrayed. "Garrus, you're in charge of the second team." He nodded to her. He seemed to physically swell with pride and gratitude. He held her gaze for a moment, a knowing look in his eye. She felt she could almost hear him say; 'thank you, for this, Shepard.' The was he once had only a couple years ago that seemed like ages. She nodded back to him.

"Well, at least he knows what he's doing." said Miranda with a shrug.

Time to rally the troops. Shepard started to pace. "I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I won't lie to you. It's not going to be easy. We've lost good people. We may loose more." She took up a position central to the wall and assumed a military posturer, hands clasped behind her back. "Once we're in there, they're going to throw everything they have at us. Be ready! We don't know how many the Collectors have stolen... thousands, hundreds of thousands. It's not important. What matters is this, Not One More!" Shepard made definitive slicing motions with one rigided hand with each word. "That's what we can do, here, today. It ends with us." Her speech carried over the com to Joker sitting at the helm. "The Collectors attacked our ship. They took our crew, our friends. They think we're helpless. They're wrong. They want to know what we're made of? I say we show them, on our terms." She angrily pointed a finger at the orange glowing representation in the center of the room.

Thane thought loved her more in that moment than he had only an hour ago. His Siha was about to deliver her wrath to protect the galaxy.

"We're going to hit them hard, and hit them where they live." A fire burned in her eyes. "Let's bring our people home. Move Out!" Shepard started toward the door, slapping a hand on Garrus' shoulder as she passed. "Solis. Krios. You're with me." The drell and the salarian fell into place behind her.

Thane noticed she had painted the shape of feathered wings on the back of her armor in a hard white that was barely detectable. He smiled to himself. His siha was a 'thug'.

Shepard's team headed to the forward air lock. Garrus took the rest to the rear emergency exit. Shepard opened the doors jumped down to the rocky, debris littered surface. Thane was close behind her, then Mordin. Shepard looked over a pile of rubble to where Garrus' team was heading out. Jacob drooped down first, then Legion. Garrus followed suit with the rest of the team behind him. She made eye contact with each of them. Jacob simply nodded. He was ready for battle. Legion was an unknown. How could she tell what a machine was thinking? Garrus was as ready as ever. He gave her a nod that let her know everything she needed to know.

The teams made their way to their entry points, Shepard noticed that Legion still watched her. It made her wonder what he _was_ thinking or possibly feeling, if they felt anything. It wasn't important right now. This was it. They reached the opening in the hide of the base.

Thane had kept stride with Shepard. He was not going to let harm come to her, no matter the cost. He looked at Shepard. She was focused on the task ahead. He turned his gaze to Mordin, who he found looking at him as well. They exchanged glances that only occur between those prepared to die together, then looked back to Shepard. Their confidence, hope and survival depended on this amazing human woman.

Shepard got Garrus on the com. "Is your team in position?"

"We're in. We'll meet you on the other side of those doors, Shepard."

It had begun. Artillery, biotics, tech explosions of fire and ice. Blood spilled, but not theirs. Legion worked his way through the ventilation with Shepard's aid as she slammed her body into each valve release, shooting Collectors all the while. Legion opened the doors just in time. Mordin went in first, Shepard and Thane providing cover fire.

"Go, Shepard. I will hold them off." Thane sniped a charging Collector from one knee.

"We'll go together, MOVE!" She pushed him ahead of her. He moved quickly and rounded the edge of the door. Shepard was backing in right behind him, firing shots. The door was jammed and wouldn't close. The rest of the team's cover fire converged though the small gap of the door while Legion hacked they system. Shepard was pushing on the door to inspire it to move. Something worked and the door snapped closed.

"I knew I could count on you" She gave the geth a pat on the shoulder, the one with the N7 armor.

"Shepard," She heard Miranda call to her, "You need to see this." The Cerberus Operative led them through a short hall that opened to a great cavern lined with Collector Pods. Huge tubes and power lines arched over head. Shepard steeped toward a pod on the wall near by.

"Looks like one of the missing colonists."Miranda said, examining the woman's clothing through the strange, glass-like window. Shepard touched the surface. Some kid of vapor was seeping up between each pod.

"There's more. Over here!" Shouted Thane. He'd found the crew. He was standing in front of a pod that held Kelly Chambers. A liquid began spraying out near the bottom of the pod. Shepard looked back to the colonist.

Suddenly she opened her eyes and looked around, panicked. The colonist focused on the human image outside her pod. She screamed and started banging on the window.

"My god! She's still alive!" Shepard started trying to pull open the pod. Something was dripping inside the pod. Blood splattered the window. Shepard's movements became more frantic. "Get them out of there! Hurry!" The colonist was screaming and... shrinking? Shepard watched helplessly as the woman melted before her eyes. Panic threatened to set in as she ran to the pods containing her crew.

Garrus had employed the butt of his rifle. He was hammering the window of crew Ken's pod, making cracks in it that eventually shattered. Thane grabbed each side of the lid to the pod and pulled with all his might, preying to Arashu in staggering breaths. That seemed to work. Kelly fell out of the pod. Thane pawed her, trying to ease her to the ground. Shepard pulled off a lid, retrieving Gabriella. Miranda was working on Dr. Chakwas' pod. The pod reluctantly released the doctor to Shepard's arms.

"Dr. Chakwas, are you alright?" The elderly woman was paler than usual and very faint.

They had very little time to recover. Shepard sent Mordin with the rescued crew back to the Normandy. He could begin their treatment immediately upon arrival. Shepard took a small team with her. They had to take a dangerous route to the central chamber that was infested with seeker swarms, too many for Mordin's counter measure. Samara would provide a biotic field of protection for them. She left Garrus to lead the second team once more, a diversion team, through the main entrance. She waited until Mordin and the crew were safely through the doors toward the Normandy.

"Zaeed and Thane are with me, everyone else go with Garrus."

The swarms interfered with radio contact between the teams. That made Shepard nervous. They moved forward. Samara had to take cover as they fought off waves of Collectors and possessions of Harbinger. Thane was always close on her six. He was on fire, making sure every bullet hit the mark, which was usually the head of a Collector. Zaeed provided a steady rain of grenades. Thane and Shepard were often back to back behind cover, alternated fire. They pressed on. Thane found Shepard's hand and gave it a tight squeeze, before darting for better cover further ahead. An assurance... Of what? she was unsure, but it gave her strength.

They made it to the exit. Zaeed was working the controls to shut the door. Shepard and Thane provided him and Samara cover fire until she could get through. She was weakening from the strain of keeping up the barrier against the masses of seeker swarms. They backed in past the thresh-hold as Samara gathered her strength. Before the door closed she redirected the barrier into an enormous warp field and pushed it into the on coming rush of Collectors. Shepard had never seen rage on Samara's serine face. It was not a look she wanted to be at the other end of.

Shepard nodded to Thane. He nodded back. Their relationship was becoming more complex, but not complicated. Would she ever discover all his layers? She hoped so. He fascinated her. The nod and the thoughts and feelings that it communicated happened in a breath. Only a second later Garrus' voice reached Shepard's com. The interference was gone.

"..pard, do you read me? Repeat, Shepard, do you copy?"

"I copy. What's your position?"

"We're pinned down at the door, taking heavy fire!"

"We're coming. Just hold on!" They ran to the doors flanking them. Samara took charge of the controls. "Get this door open!"

Samara worked quickly. The door jerked open a little, bullets soared through the gap like a rushing river. Garrus' team backed in quickly, firing back at the Collectors.

"Close the doors!" Shepard shouted. One las bullet zinged across the distance before the door snapped shut with a hollow boom. Shepard saw Garrus stumble backward into the wall. He was holding his side. He was hit. She ran to him.

They locked eyes, fear and concern was her face. He pushed though the pain. His suit delivered a healthy dose of medi-gel. He would be fine. He stood up right and nodded to her.

"I'll be fine" it said. She smiled at him in relief. She slapped his shoulder.

"Don't do that to me," it replied. They walked over to where the rest of the team was gathering. Shepard halted in front of the group. Garrus continued passed her, as strong and proud as ever.

"Joker, are you at the rendezvous point?" Miranda appeared at her side.

"I'm here, Commander. Chakwas and the rest of the crew just showed up."

"Mordin's group just arrived, Shepard. No casualties." added EDI

"Excellent," said Miranda. "Now let's make it count." She touched her com in her ear, "EDI, what's our next step?"

"There should be some nearby platforms that will take you to the control console. From there you can overload the system and destroy the base."

"Commander, you've got a problem," interrupted Joker. "Hostiles massing just outside the door. Won't be long 'til they bust through."

Shepard hopped up onto one of the platforms. She faced her team. They had done well so far. She was proud of them, even if this was as far as they got.

"A rear guard could defend this position and keep them from over whelming us."

"Pick a team to go with you, Shepard. Everyone else can bunker down here and cover your back." suggested Miranda.

Shepard considered for a moment, who to take with her. Thane would most certainly want to be by her side, as well as Garrus. But Garrus was a strong leader and excelled in battle. Could she afford to take him with her and risk the strength of the defense team?

"Zaeed and Thane will come with me." She looked to Garrus. It only took a second of eye contact and she knew he understood what she was thinking.

Zaeed hoped onto the platform followed by Thane. They took up positions to either side of her flank.

"I'm ready, Shepard." said Zaeed, in his strong Irish accent.

"As am I." Thane added. He held her eyes for mere seconds that seemed like days.

Shepard turned to address her team for possibly the last time. They looked tired and dirty, but they were strong and confident. Confident in her and gleaning their own confidence through her.

"The Collectors, the Reapers... they aren't a threat to us. They're a threat to everything, everyone. Those are the lives we're fighting for. That's the scale. It's been a long journey, and no one's comn' out without scars."

Grunt punch his fists in agreement and excitement.

"But it all comes down to this moment. We win or loose it all in the next few minutes. Make me proud. Make yourselves proud."

"We've got your back, Shepard." Garrus spoke for the crowd.

Shepard nodded to him and her crew that was below her as she activated the platform and floated off toward the central chamber. They passed through a large oval-shaped opening on there way. One of several that made swiss cheese of the walls around them. A large window the same size and shape of the 'door ways' exposed a breathtaking view of the Cresian Disk. Moving past it, Shepard was in awe. Thane was looking at the view as well. He took a step to stand beside her and took her hand in his. They didn't look at each other as they passed by the window. Zaeed just shook his head and checked his guns. When the window was passed them, Thane released her hand and took up his weapon.

"Here they come," he shouted.

Platforms of husks and Collectors were inbound to cut them off. With gunfire and explosions they fought their way through. The Collectors possessed by Harbinger were vaporizing into ash. Blue biotic flames rippled over Thane as he threw several over the edge of the platform, chanting,

"Go to the sea."

Zaeed was liberal with the grenades. Shepard snipped them while they were still incoming. They were making good progress. Suddenly the attacks stopped. They made their way to the furthest platform, picking up dropped ammo along the way. Taking the new platform, they floated downward through another large opening that had the tubes threaded through it.

"Ok, this is it. All the tubes lead to this spot. EDI," Shepard hailed the AI, "What can you tell us. What are they doing.?"

"The tubes are feeding into some kind of super structure. It is emitting both organic and inorganic signatures. With these readings the structure must be massive. If my calculations are correct the structure is a Reaper."

The platform floated within view of the super structure. It's size was daunting. The sight of it sent chills through her body. Thane and Zaeed shook their heads in disbelief. It looked like human skeletoture. It hung from the walls by large injection tubes that pumped in liquefied genetic material. That was the weak point to bring in down. The platform locked into several other linked together and the Reaper came to life. Collectors swarmed in on new platforms.

"Amonkira reveals them!" said Thane as he ducked to a good sniping position.

"Now it gets fun." Zaeed took cover.

The bullets and biotics flew. Thane and Zaeed provided her with cover fire. Shepard took aim at the injection tubes hoping her bullets would penetrate them. One tube shattered sending fluid to the abyss below the Reaper. More platforms. More Collectors. Thane threw them over the edges. That seemed to be an extremely effective attack. Shepard shot another tube.

A Collector beam fired and a scorch mark appear just above her head. She rolled into new cover as Thane shot the attacker in the eye, killing it, with his sniper rifle.

"... Kalahira." was all she heard him say above the noise of battle.

Two more tubes. The Reaper sagged, the weight of it pulling on the support tubes, they snapped and the Reaper fell into the pit. The stations shuttered nearly throwing them to the ground. Shepard quickly regained her ballance and tapped her com.

"Garrus, give me a status report."

"We're taking them down as they come, Shepard, but we need an exit soon!"

"Head to the Normandy. Joker, prep the engines. I'm about to over load this place and blow it sky high."

"Roger that, Commander."

Shepard ran for the core. It was time to blow this hell hole. Working fast, Shepard opened the core and was prepping it for the detonation disk. Thane's omni-tool beeped. It was Joker.

"Commander, I've got an incoming message from the Illusive Man. EDI's patching it through."

Thane activated the message and a hollo of the Illusive Man appeared.

"Shepard, you've done the impossible."

"I still have to blow the base."

"That may not be necessary. I'm looking at the schematics EDI up loaded. A timed radiation pulse would wipe out the remaining Collectors leaving the technology in tack."

"Our mission was to destroy the base."

"The Collectors were building a Reaper. That knowledge, that framework could save us. Our best chance is to turn their own resources against them. Who knows what information is buried here?."

"What are you suggesting?"

"This is a gift, we can't just destroy it. Think of the potential. I brought you back so you could keep fighting for what you believed in. To keep fighting for humanity. My goal is to preserve humanity, at any cost. I've never hidden that from you. Think of the lives we could save if we do, and the lives that will be lost if we don't."

"Siha," Thane interrupted, "We must be careful not to become what we seek to destroy."

"What dose this alien know?" The Illusive Man gestured angrily at Thane. "Humanity is what's at steak! Don't throw this away..."

"We'll fight and win without it." Shepard interrupted him this time. "I won't let fear compromise who I am."

"After all Cerberus has done for you! You...!" Thane cut off the transition and handed Shepard the detonation disk. She took it without looking at him and slid it into place.

"OK, we've got ten minutes before his place blows. Let's get out of here."

The ground shuttered, harder this time than the last.

"We've got company!" Shouted Zaeed.

More Collectors were flying in and the Reaper had climbed up out of the pit, 'alive' and angry. Shepard found hight ground and took cover. Thane was at her back. Zaeed was taking out Collectors like he was popping balloons at a cheap carnival booth. Shepard thought she heard him laughing.

"Crazy, Irish bastard." she thought.

Shepard sent a spray of bullets at the Reaper, hoping to hit a weak spot. A stray hit one of the eye sockets, igniting a spark.

"Ok, that's it. Just like organics, aim for the head." She thought. She took aim with her assault rifle. The Reaper was moving and dodging as it slapped way platforms. It was charging up some kind of weapon in it's mouth. She had to take it down before that thing went off.

"Take cover!" Shepard shouted over the com. Without further warning or waiting for her order to be obeyed, she unclipped 'Cain' from her back. It would take a few seconds for the charge to build before it would fire. This would be the first time she used it. It might kill them all.

Shepard looked to Thane as he sniped a Collector. He found her gaze. His face was stern in the heat of battle as was her own. He nodded to her. She nodded back and pulled the trigger. She would pop up out of cover when it was three seconds from firing. It only took seven. Thane put his back to the half wall they took shelter behind. She wanted to say something, but realized she didn't need to.

Shepard moved faster than ever, taking aim at the eye of the Reaper that held two cannons and Cain fired. She was temporarily blinded by the explosion. When her eyes adjusted the cavern was alight in a brilliant orangy-red glow. The tubes and roof were on fire. The Reaper's head had exploded and debris was flying through the air. The body tottered and fell forward onto the platforms sending them in every direction.

Shepard's platform tipped forward until it was almost vertical. She leapt to the ledge as it tipped. Thane had not made it and was sliding to his death, trying to find a finger hold and failing. She threw her body down the inclining slope, the sound of her armor skidding down the platform vibrating in her head. His arm was out stretched, reaching for her. He used his feet and other arm to try and find some purchase to slow his descent. She caught up to him close enough to grab his hand. She had him for a second and their grip slipped. Panic took him. His face was wrot with fear as he felt his body go over the edge. He lost sight of Shepard. She would soon follow him to their deaths, he thought in the second of weightlessness he felt before her hand securely griped his. They halted to a stop as the platform regained some inertia and balanced out. She pulled him up just to fall and roll down the side as it tipped the other way.

Zaeed was sliding down the slope up right, trying to run up the side. The platform regained balance just as debris from another platform smashed into it.

Shepard woke. Her body ached. Something heavy pinned her to the ground. 'Thane!' She suddenly remembered. She had to get up. It took all her strength to lift the flooring and move out from under it. Her eyes focused and she looked around. Zaeed was a few feet away. He had one arm handing off the edge of the platform. She ran to him and turned him over. His eyes blinked. He was alive and conscious. She helped him to his feet.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Ya, ya... " He nodded. She looked around again. Where's Thane? She spotted some debris on the other side of the platform. There was a body under it. She ran over and hoisted the flooring off the form. It was the drell. He wasn't breathing. She took his body in her arms. His head rolled into her elbow. His eyes were closed, a pinkish blood stain ran from his nose.

"Thane!" No response. Zaeed hobbled over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We've got to go, Commander. This place is gonna blow any minute. He wouldn't want you to be here when it dose." He told her sympatheticly, but with urgency.

"Thane!" She screamed at his face.

"You're a solder! You know people die on missions. Move it!" Zaeed was trying to spark the military training in her. It wasn't working. He'd have to leave her behind.

Shepard used her free arm to push Zaeed away.

"He's not dead!" She wrapped both arms around Thane's body. It was still warm. She brought her face closed his and kissed his lips. "Mëha, come back to me." A tear escaped her eye and fell onto his cheek. She felt his body take in a sharp breath. His eyes fluttered open, the light making the edges of his pupils shine silver. He looked at her.

"Siha..." he breathed her name. He brought a hand to her face. She pressed her hand against it for a second, smiling. "We've go to get out of here. Now." She pulled him up and slung his arm over her shoulders, piratically dragging him to the exit. He regained his feet and they started running. Zaeed was ahead of them. She heard a sound and looked over her shoulder.

"Seeker swarms!" She picked up speed activating the 'storm' capability in the armor. "Move! Move! Move!"

Thane felt an un-natural burst of energy and his breath came as if he'd never become sick. He flew like the wind.

"Arashu be praised!" he sent the thought as a prayer to the heavens.

Shepard saw Zaeed nearing the edge of a great cliff. the Normandy was there waiting for them. The docking hatch opened with Joker inside. He fired several rounds from his gun into the Collectors hot on Shepard's tail. He'd pay for it, but he didn't care about the bones right now.

Harbinger boomed treats or ominous warnings. She didn't care which. She wasn't listening. She watched as Zaeed jumped the gap to the ship. Moments latter Thane made the jump, landing firmly on his feet. The incline was steepening. She pushed herself as hard as her body could tolerate. A large chunk of the station fell from the ceiling, crashing into the cliff edge knocking it away. The gap was not three times he size and the Normandy couldn't risk getting closer. Joker, Zaeed and Thane fired shots over her head into the Collectors. Thane preyed under with each bullet to the gods for Shepard's life.

"What the hell," she thought. "It can't hurt. I hope they can hear thoughts." Shepard sent her own prayer to the heavens. She didn't know if they existed or any gods existed, but it was worth a shot. She ran up to the jagged edge and jumped. Her body glided through the air, she pin-wheeled her arms as if it would help. She started to fall. Her line of sight fell below the floor of the Normandy. She felt her hand clamp down on the edge of the door way. 'Oh, thank the gods.' She thought and tried to pull herself up. She was too weak. For a second she thought she would slip off and die anyway. How ironic it would be to die touch the Normandy and then plummet to her death. In that instant there was a firm grip on her wrist.

Thane fired a shot passed Shepard just as she made the leap. His heart stopped in his chest until her hand clamped onto the Normandy. He grabbed her hand and their eyes met as he pulled her up.

"EDI, get us otta here!" Joker shouted. The door closed and the ship turned away from the crumbling Collector base. Joker ran to the cockpit. Zaeed followed. Thane embraced Shepard tightly as the ship picked up speed. He released his Siha to Commander Shepard as she ran for the cockpit. He followed.

The Normandy's engines screamed as they were pushed to their limits. She shook her crew as she dodged space debris trying to out run the shock wave following her. Heat seared her barriers and scorched her shields. Her mass effect FTL drive activated.


	13. Repairs

The Normandy hobbled back to friendly space after dropping out of FTL. They were lucky to have survived. Luckier still to be within a days journey to Illium. As badly as everyone needed to rest, it wasn't on the agenda just yet. Everyone reported to Mordin for injuries that couldn't be mended with medi-gel. Joker had several broken bones all over his body. His hands were still intact and usable though, so he could still fly. The shot Garrus had taken punctured his armor. The wound was too severe for medi-gel, but no major damage had been done. Dr. Chakwas, and the rest of the rescued crew, were on strict bed rest for the next week. Kelly insisted she be allowed a lap top so she could still do her job to some degree. Shepard agreed, but only after she installed a program that would lock the Yeoman out after her shift was up. Once Kelly was bedded, however, the console saw very little used between naps.

Joker was at the helm, asleep in his chair, when Shepard walked up to check on him.

"How long has he been out, EDI?"

"Approximately fifteen minutes, Commander. Shall I wake him?"

"No, let him sleep unless there's an emergency. How are you doing with all the extra systems?"

"I am running at optimum capacity. The the crew doing what repairs they can. I am running several systems diagnostics and repairs to critical systems. I am also taking up slack in all the essential departments. Legion is integrating some geth technology to optimize this process and improve the systems. I am monitoring his work closely."

"That's great. I think we can trust Legion. Let me know if you need anything."

"Yes, Commander. Logging you out Shepard."

Shepard checked the galaxy map and her messages before heading to her cabin. She had visited most of the crew and talked with her team. Most of them agreed with her decision to destroy the base. Legion was simply curious why she had not kept it for it's technical knowledge. He would stay on board until he could aquire passage back to geth space. Zaeed saw it as a weapon that should have been used. With the credits of Cerberus no longer flowing to his pockets, he would not be staying on board when they reached Nos Astra. She hadn't really expected him too. Mordin was... well, Mordin. He felt that destroying the base rendered the death of thousands worthless and that the base should have been kept for technological advancement as well as any advantage it might have given them against the Reapers. He was undecided about staying. She hoped he would. He was handy to have around.

Shepard had taken a shower and was dressed in her civies once more. Her hair in it's usual braid. She sat in meditation on her bed, which had turned to sleep. She was comically hunched over herself, her hands limp in her lap. Garrus chuckled to himself. He had let himself in to check on her. He figured to task fell to him with Thane in the med-bay with a concussion and several other survivable wounds. The turian eased her down onto the bed in what he hoped was a more comfortable position. She snored quietly when her head hit the pillow. His mandibles spread wide in a smile trying not to laugh at her. He took a blanket from the dresser as quietly as he could and spread it over her. She sighed in her sleep and stopped snoring. He stood there a moment, watching her dream.

A day later, Shepard was on Illium. They had more than enough raw materials to provide or trade to make the parts they needed. They still had plenty of Cerberus credits to spend as well. Liara had graciously paid for their docking fees the morning they arrived, once again. Shepard decided to go see her as soon as she got the chance.

Almost two weeks later, Shepard had not gone to see Liara. She told herself it was because she was busy, but that wasn't entirely true. The most of the crew was off bed rest. Thane was still in med-bay. Chakwas had refused to let him return to duty until he'd fully recovered from his trauma.

Heavy repairs were underway. Repairing holes in the hull were completed and the plating was gradually being reconstructed. Legion, Tali and EDI were all working diligently to put the interior of the Normandy back together and remove any Cerberus spy ware they found. Joker concentrated on system programming errors and diagnostics, 'just to have something to do,' he'd said.

Shepard acquired some new tech to replace some software trained with intergraded spy ware. On her way back to the ship she passed Liara's office. She looked up to the window, but didn't see anything. Shepard rounded the corner and took the stairs up to the office. Liara had hired a new secretary. The young asari looked up from her console. She was prettier than Nexaris had been, but not as striking as Liara. Her skin was a deep shade of blue with tiny, purple scales on her scalp. Her eyes were a shade of brown that was almost violet. She'd painted her lips a rose with the traditional stripe down her chin. Thin stipes of green ran along the top of each tentacle.

"Hi, I was wondering if Liara was in?" asked Shepard.

"Yes, she is, may I ask who has come calling?"

"I'm an old friend. My name is Shepard."

"Ah, yes. Ms. T'Soni has been expecting you." she said pleasantly. She hit a button on her desk. "Ma'm, Ms. Shepard is here to see you."

Shepard felt strange being called 'Ms. Shepard.'

"Yes, ok. Send her in, please."

"Yes, ma'm." A few key strokes later and the doors opened. Shepard could see Liara sitting at her desk tapping away at her console. Shepard strode forward.

"Hey, Liara." She took the seat in front of the desk. "How are things going?" Liara didn't look up. "Thanks for taking care of the fees."

"It's the least I could do." she finished typing something before she looked at Shepard and smiled. "I'm glad to see you succeeded in you mission. I hadn't expected to see you so soon with the needed repairs to your dose not know if you survived. They contacted me in hopes that I had that information. You were right not to trust them. I will not betray you. However, I am unsure of what information the Shadow Broker may have."

"That's good to know. Thanks, Liara." Shepard shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "Liara, would you come have a drink with me? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Yes, of corse. I will reserve a private room in Eternity." Liara's voice was as calm and smooth as ever. Hearing her say 'eternity' brought back the memories of their intimate times together. Shepard tried not to blush.

"Ok. I'll see you there."

Shepard handed the software to Tali and headed to her cabin, keeping one of the bags. Inside was a new dress. She had to wear something to go to the bar in that wasn't armor or her normal casual wear. She didn't want to wear the grey dress, because she'd worn that for Thane. She put the bag in a dewar and pulled out the other dress. It was similar to the grey one, with a different style of trim. A sea blue and a single line of white trim off center of her neck all the way to the hem. The effect was that of an Asian flare. She fastened the sets of rectangular black beads at the neck, chest, hip , thigh and knee before heading to the elevator. She let out a heavy sigh at the door.

Liara was wearing a mauve colored dress with cream stripes and black trim. It brought out the blush in her cheeks. Her eyes were just as hard as the day they had been reunited. Shepard settled into the two person bench next to her. Liara had ordered drinks for them. Shepard downed to blue liquid before she spoke.

"Thanks for meeting with me." Shepard was acting out of character. Liara noticed. "I'm sorry I died. I should have been here for you." This was starting out well, she thought sarcastically.

"Shepard, you do not need to apologize. You saved your crew against a Collector ship!" Liara paused. "Did Cerberus tell you how they acquired your body?"

Shepard shook her head. "No, I didn't really have a chance to ask."

"I gave you to them. I got your body from the Shadow Broker. They said they could rebuild you! I knew they would use you for their own means. I couldn't bare loosing you." Liara spat it all out before Shepard had time to ask questions. "But I screwed it up. I barely escaped with my life. A friend had gone with me. He had certain useful expertise. He didn't make it. I don't know if he's alive or being tortured. I have to find him. I owe him my life. That's why I must find the Shadow Broker and make him pay!" Liara slammed her hand down on the table.

"Liara, I..."Shepard didn't know what to say.

"Do you hate me?" Liara's eyes became those of the Liara Shepard had known.

"No, Blue Bird. I could never hate you. My mission is important. You did the right thing." Shepard smiled at her. "Is there anything I can do to help your friend?"

"I..." Liara blinked at the use of her old pet name. "I will let you know, but I'm fine. I can handle this." She lowered her eyes to the table where her untouched drink cast a blue light on the surface. "It took them two years to rebuild you, Shepard. I moved on..." She looked back to Shepard, "I wasn't looking. I didn't want anyone else. But, my friend... he's special to me. He is different from anyone I've ever met. We were going to become bond mates before..." She trailed off. "I have to find him, dear one." She returned the used of the old pet names. "I can't loose someone else that I love." A single tear trailed down her cheek leaving a darker blue path behind it. Shepard wiped the tear away with her thumb.

"I understand. I will help if you need me." Shepard studied Liara's face. She was trying to be so strong. "Liara. you're not the only one who.."

"I know about Thane, Shepard." She smiled. "I am one of the best at what I do."

"Wha... how could you.."Shepard was in shock. Most of her crew did not know. How could Liara know?

"It's ok. I hoped you would find someone. I've made donations to the research program the Hanar started for Keplar's Syndrome." She told her.

Shepard didn't know what to say. Liara always had a way of leaving her speechless. She thew her arms around Liara and hugged her tightly. It startled Liara, but she relaxed and returned her embrace. The two women parted as friends.

Shepard entered the med-bay still in the sea foam dress. Thane was sitting on one of the med-beds. He was tapping something on his omni-tool. He looked up when she entered the room, sensing her presence. His eyes widened slightly. They always did when she wore feminine things.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" She said with a flirty smile.

"Of corse, Siha."

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she settled into a chair next to his bed.

"As well as ever. Mordin has made frequent visits, taking samples and injecting me with pain killers. I am surprised I can still feel anything." He smiled at her. He'd been improving on his joke telling. She giggled for him.

"What are you working on?" She glanced at the omni-tool.

"It's a letter to Kolyat, letting him know I survived our mission and inquiring about his progress." Thane saved the draft and turned off the omni-tool. "You look lovely." He took her hands.

"Thank you. I..." She looked up at his tired face. "I went to see Liara today." She waited for a response. None came. "She's doing well. She knows about us. She has found someone as well."

"She is an information broker. I am not surprised at her knowledge. I am glad she has found someone to love. Being alone should be a choice."

"When do you think Chakwas will let you out of here?" she gave him a sly smile that let him know she was missing him in more ways than one.

"Dr. Chakwas assures me that I will be released on light duty orders within 24 hours." He leaned toward her and lowered his voice so the other (unconscious) patience wouldn't hear. "You must be gentle with me, Siha. I will not be able to repeat our last encounter just yet." A sensual smile on his lips. Shepard eyed him playfully as she inched closer to whisper to him.

"I've been wondering when it would be my turn." she teased.

Thane was already having some discomfort in his leathers from their flirting. He cupped her jaw in his and kissed her, gently. Their tongues touched for only a few seconds before he closed the kiss. His hand lingered on her face the way the feel of his kiss lingered on her lips. She was hopelessly in love with the drell.

The next night she went to him where he bunked in the Port Observation room. He lay with his back propped up against the arm on the sofa nearest the view port so he could watch the stars appear in the sky over Nos Astra. His hands were poised in meditation. When she entered to room he made space for her next to him. She was in her civies and her hair was in a bun again. She passed the sofa and went to the bed. He watched her with interest as she pulled the mattress from the platform and drug it over to the center of the window. She then went to the control panel and locked the room from other crew and EDI.

"We can lay and look up a the stars this way." was all she said, then eyeing his leathers... "You won't need those." a wicked smile spread across her face.

Thane removed himself from the sofa and his clothes from his body. He made himself comfortable on the mattress. He wondered what she had planned.

She just looked at him in the nude under the stars for several moments. He couldn't see her, but he could feel her eyes on him. When she reappeared she had removed her jump suit. Underneath was something very nice. The sea foam lace let hints of pink flesh tease the eye. The color made her eyes almost seem as if they were made of the oceans of Kahje. She smiled as she watched his body respond to the sight of her. She pulled the elastic off the bun an let her hair fall around her form. Thane expressed his reaction with a smile and a 'come hither stare'.

Shepard crawled onto the mattress and over his body, stopping to kiss a calf or a knee, until she reached his erection. His body had not produced the lubricant yet. The pain killers were slowing down some of his bodies non-essential possesses. She positioned her mouth over the tip and slowly licked the surface with her tongue. Thane jumped a little.

"It's ok. There's no danger of hallucinations." She smiled up at him. He relaxed.

"Be cautious, Siha." He was unsure of what to expect from a human mouth on that part of his body.

Shepard licked him again, just the tip. Thane seemed to be a little tense. She let her tongue explore the lip and then the shaft as she made her way to the base. The feeling of scales on her tongue was strange, but exciting. His bare skin was slick and soft. He had a slight tannin flavor. The dry musk smell was stronger and sweeter. His breathing became deeper. Dragging her tongue back to the tip, she slipped her mouth over him past the lip. Thane let out a soft cry and involuntarily arched his back. If she had room to smile, she would have. She moaned on him as she took more of him in her mouth. She let her saliva seep from her lips and slowly glide down his shaft. His body responded in arcs and waves of pleasure. He groaned and clung to the mattress with tightly balled fists.

The stars were pale, lost beyond the light of the city, but still beautiful. He didn't really see them. His mind was consumed with the sensations Shepard was inflicting upon him. Her mouth stroked him from tip to base. Her tongue tease the tip then wrapped itself around the lip and shaft, caressing him with wetness. Her saliva was creeping down his thighs to the sheets. The intensity was unbearable. He arched his back and his fluids released into her mouth. He could feel her throat flex as she swallowed him.

"Oh, gods!" he thought. He may have moaned it. "_Siha_..."

He was breathing heavily, his eyes wide, his mouth open in cries of ecstacy. He was getting close. The lubricant had begun to flow almost immediately, but she wanted to give him this. There was just a slickness that was not there before, it had no smell or taste. It helped her take him deeper. His color had deepened to a more vibrant red and green. His throat folds had also brightened in color and swollen with blood. She shifted her weight to let her hands glide over his thighs and up his torso, back down his ribs to grip his hips. He thrust himself into her when his back arched. She could feel his climax pulsing past her lips before exploding into mouth. There was too much, in the heat of passion she swallowed him. He just kept cuming. With each pulse came another flood of sweet, watery release. He was crying out to his gods and moaning her name.

When the floods stopped, Shepard swallowed the last of him. She let him slide from between her lips, still securely suctioned around him, making sure to leave him clean. She watched him shutter on the mattress while she licked her lips.

The world looked a little different. She didn't see any dancing, pink elephants, but there was a kind of haze. When she looked at Thane, he seemed to glow with his own light. Not like when he was alight with biotics, different. More celestial. The depth of his black eyes held her captive, the silver reflection around his irises like stars.

"I'm not done yet..."

He barely heard her whisper as she crawled over him, letting her body graze his. He looked up at her when she sat up to remove her bra. The panties came away with the pull of a ribbon at her hip. She pressed her body onto him.

"Let me know if it's too much, Mëha" She whispered to his mouth and kissed him, taking his bottom lip between her teeth. He could taste himself on her lips. It was intoxicating. He moaned and arched his back, pressing his body against hers.

Her pupils were dilated more than they should have been. He wondered what she would see in her hallucination. She kissed him deeper. He moaned again and she slid herself over him.

To feel her body's natural lubrication on his skin, absent of his own, was indescribable. Her lips caressed with each stroke, he felt her tighten around him. Her breasts grazed over his chest. She kissed and teased the folds of his neck. Her hands were on his body, loving him.

Their moans filled the room. She rode him with his hands on her hips, pushing him deeper into herself. Sweat dewed on her skin. Every breath was a cry of intense pleasure.

"Thane," she moaned before she kissed him.

She pinned his hands to the mattress while he slowly pumped his hips, bringing himself hard and deep into her. She moaned into his folds sending ripples of excited arousal through him.

Her climaxes brought forth a flood, each time he pressed into her g-spot. And each time she flooded her juices onto his body he climaxed within her. He could hear the wetness, and he pushed harder. She called out his name,

"_Mëha_..."

She was weakening, and he would use the opportunity to dominate. When he tried, she only pinned him down. With a final, hard thrust she tightened, climaxing, and collapsed beside him. He was panting, which was surprisingly easy. He couldn't feel the usual ache. It was probably the hormones rushing through his body, and the pain killers.

Shepard's chest was heaving with each breath. She lay with her eyes closed, her loins tender and pulsing. Her body shuttered in waves of delight.

She was just catching her breath when she felt the drell beside her shift. When she opened her eyes he thrust himself inside her. His hard body was on hers, pinning her down. His muscles rippling over her. His mouth kiss hers, ignoring her week protests. He throbbed inside her, pushing himself deeper into her with each thrust. He was hungry for more. He needed more. He felt amazing and he wanted her to feel that. He moved over her and in her like an animal in rut. Her body was too weak to resist. He took her.

Several times he pulled away to taste her, to taste himself on her. He watched her flesh blush under his skillful tongue, only to plunged into her again. He came in her as many times as she came for him. Their groans a song. His hands were on her breasts, her hips and thighs. He caressed her face and hair as he kissed her neck and sucked on her ears.

"_Siha_..." he whispered to her, enraptured.

When he was finally spent and she was exhausted and sore, he lay next to her. The sun was nearing dawn. Shepard tried to roll over. Her body didn't want to move, much less walk to the desk where she left the medication for the hallucinations. Luckily, she had hidden one in her bra just in case, and that was took her hand his his as sleep overcame them.

Ten hours later, Shepard woke up and crawled out of bed. Everything hurt. She was beginning to wonder if it would always hurt because he was so... drell. Thane was already up, clean and dressed, meditating by the window. The sun was in late afternoon, and the light on his face in prayer was amazing. Shepard cleaned up the best she could with some of Thane's towelettes. Thane could smell his sent on her and it drew him from his prayers when she approached him.

"The crew is probably worried about us."she said. She gestured to the door.

"They have nothing to fear. We are more than well." He opened his eyes to look at her and smile. The light caught in his eyes, exposing the true green of his irises. He took her in his arms and kissed her. She nuzzled into his neck, her necklace shimmering with the orange glow of afternoon. They watched the sun slowly sink to the horizon. Shepard started thinking about the future.

"We took out the Collector base, but the Reapers are still a threat. If the council continues to refuse to listen to me..."

"Siha," He turned her to face him, "the council will believe you, though it may be to late for them when they do. You can not force them to accept the truth. I know you will do whatever you can to stop the Reapers. I believe you will succeed."

"How? The Protheans were more advanced than we are, and they didn't make it."

"They hid from the Reapers on Ilos. They were the first to survive for so long. We have the knowledge they left behind. We know of the Reaper's exitance and what they are, and we have delayed the invasion. We are already doing better than any other previous civilization. If success is to be had, it will be because you were a part of it."

Shepard studied his face. He believed what he was saying. She hoped she did. She lay her head on his chest, listening to his breathing. He held her close, stroking her hair with one hand as he leaned against the window frame. After a time Shepard realized his breathing sounded smooth, and effortless.

Thane felt Shepard shift in his arms. He looked down into you blue-green eyes. She smiled up at him. It made him feel warm, and he smiled back. He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes. He bent to kiss her cheek. It was soft, and warm. The flesh gave way to his touch as did her breast pressed against his chest. He kissed the tip of her nose, and lifted her chin in the crook of one finger to kiss it. Then her lips, sweet and full, soft on his.

"Mëha," she said, her eyes still closed enjoying the lingering feel of his lips on her skin, "How are you feeling?"

He looked at her confused. She opened her eyes. They seemed brighter. She was smiling.

"I am well."

"How's your breathing?" She looked at him intently. Thane took a deep breath.

"It is well, today. I think the effect of the pain killers, the humidity control of the room... your presence..." He gave her a grin, "has assisted in reducing the discomfort."

"Let's go see if that's what it is."Shepard smiled at him.

"Siha, is this necessary . I don't want to burden you with the details of my illness." He became serious.

"Mëha," She became just as serious, placing a hand on his cheek. "If I am to be with you til the end, I want to know more about this, from a doctor. We don't have to leave the ship. Mordin can scan you in the med-bay or in the lab, whichever you prefer."

Thane thought a moment, then relented. They exited the room and went strait to the elevator. They could hear the crew at dinner. Mordin's lab would be more private as long as they could get there unseen. When they reached the command deck anyone that could have seen them had gone to dinner. Mordin was in his lab.

"Mordin,"Shepard found him in the back of the lab. "Can you run some scans on Thane and give me an up date of his physical health?" She winked at the salarian with her back to Thane.

"Certainly," nodded Mordin. "Wanted to do some scans for studies on Keplar's Syndrome. Might find something useful to send to Hanar." He grabbed a scanner and ran it over Thane's chest.

"Elevated hormone levels, normal considering recent activities." Shepard tried to keep from laughing. If drell could blush, she was certain Thane was doing so now. He looked rather uncomfortable. "Breathing is stable. No strain or weakness of tissue. Absorption of oxygen, nitrogen, expelstion of carbon dioxide, all good. No water retention..." Mordin stopped the scan. "Drell specimen in perfect health. No sign of Keplar's Syndrome or any other ailment." Mordin turned to Shepard. Thane was confused and maybe even angry.

"There must be something wrong with your medical supplies or you lack sufficient knowledge of Drell anatomy and Keplar's Syndrome."

The salarian shook his head. "No, no. Scans are accurate." He went to the corner of the room where they had found him. When he returned he had a try of test tubes and petri dishes. "These are samples from your lungs a week ago." He pointed to some watery-looking, pale pink tissue. "These are samples from nearly two days ago." He pointed to healthy, reddish, sponge-like tissue in a different dish. "Had opportunity to gather lung samples while injured. Actually had to work in area to treat wounds. Found time to do scans here and there. Will take more treatments, but effect is permanent. Still should avoid heavy humidity, but it is a good start." Mordin was so proud, smiling through his explanation.

Thane was speechless. He stood motionless in thought for quite a while, his features blank. Shepard was getting nervous. Mordin continued to work.

"I am no longer dieing?"

"No, should live another forty to forty-five years. Average life span for Drell." Answered Mordin over his shoulder. Shepard was waiting for his response.

"Siha, what do I do with my life now? I've spent the last ten years preparing for death."

Shepard smiled gently at him and took his hands in hers. "We'll just have to figure it out." Thane squeezed her hands, then squeezed her.

"You truly are sent from the gods." he whispered. He tanked Mordin with a deep bow. Mordin smiled.

"Happy to help." He sent the data to Kahje an hour later.

"I must tell my son." Thane walked with purpose to the nearest console that would send a message.

"Of corse." Shepard lingered a few feet away.

"No," he stopped half way to the console. "I should tell him in person."

"Mëha, the ship is still under repair and the shuttle won't make it that far..." She trailed off when she realized what he was saying. "Will you come back?"

Thane took a few swift steps until her had her in his arms. A tear threatened to well up in her eye. She blinked it back. Thane was blinking too.

"I will return to have given me reasons to live. You have reawakened me and reunited me with my son. You have given me a second chance at life. For that, my life is yours."

"I want you to be with me because you want to be, not because you feel you owe me."

"I owe you a great deal. I _want_ to be near you. Yes, because of the things you have done for me. Those deeds are part of who you are. I love you, Siha."

"Ok. Let's find you secure passage to the Citadel. We should let Baily know you're coming. I'll see if Mordin can send the treatments with you and show you how to administer them. You'll need at least one dose on you're way there, and depending on how long you stay..."

Thane placed a finger over her lips and found her eyes with his. Taking her in his armes he kissed at first, then more passionately when she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. She ran her fingers over the crests on his head and over the frill on his cheek.

"I will miss you." She whispered sweetly to him.

"As I will you." They kissed once more.


	14. Bond

Three days later Thane was on an Alliance cruiser to the Citadel. Shepard had called in a favor.

After he'd left, she felt like she had to relearn how to do things, everything. Sometimes she found herself on the Observation Deck just standing there with this feeling that there was something she'd gone in there for and couldn't remember what it was. Sleeping at night was also an adjustment. She'd gotten used to his warmth next to her, to listening to his labored breathing. She kept expecting to hear his reverberating voice recalling some memory or to feel his arms snake around her waist in the privacy of her quarters.

"I'm being selfish."She thought. "He's gone to see his son. I should be happy he has a chance to be a father to him.." She kicked herself mentally. She was absently playing with the necklace.

The repairs were almost complete. She was planning a celebration party at Eternity. She'd sent Thane a message about it, but he hadn't replied. He'd sent her a short message when he arrived on the Citadel, to let her know that everything was ok. They always used secure channels. She'd heard little since. He was busy readjusting to life. He was talking regularly with his son. Kolyat was still 'serving time' with Baily and doing surprise of a treatment for Keplar's and that Thane would not be dieing had hit the kid hard. He wasn't angry. But he hadn't shown much in the way of happiness either. She could understand where he was coming from, but that didn't justify his attitude in her mind.

Shepard was helping Garrus with realigning the guns. They were tossing jokes and sarcastic comments around when she got a beep on her omni-tool. She had a new message from Thane. She glanced up at Garrus and continued to work.

"Get outta here. The work will still be here in twenty minutes. Go read your love letter." He teased her. She smiled and punched him in the arm on her way out. He was learning to hate that.

Siha,

Kolyat is talking more. He has opened up parts of his life to me and I am grateful. He is adjusting well to the news. All of Kahje is alive with excitement for the treatment. The data will be useful in bringing them closer to a cure if Mordin dose not beat them to it.

There are issues I am talking about with my son that must be concluded before I may return. He is restless. So am I. The memories of you sustain me. I will return to you as soon as I can.

Mëha

Three days passed. The celebration was that night. Repairs were complete and they would be heading out in one day. Shepard dressed in her room. Her hair braided, her face fresh. The dress she'd bought was red with black strips down the front and back with white trim. Two half circles were cut out to arch over her hips. It was something she'd hoped Thane would be around to see. A courtesy ring beeped at her door.

"Come."

The door opened and a well dressed turian with blue facial tattoos came into the room. His clothes were made of fine material of a rich blue, accented with a lighter blue strip down the front and grey trim.

"Commander." Garrus said, respectfully. He'd never seen Shepard looking so sexy. Seeing her dressed like this made him want to... well, what any hot and bothered male wants to do to his lady friend. He tried to maintain his composure.

"I'm ready, Garrus." She was rather unenthusiastic about celebrating anything.

"Shepard, this is supposed to be a party. It's not going to be much fun if you're mopping around." He didn't even try the soldier talk. This was not the place for it. So, he was trying the blunt friend approach. That's what he was best at.

"I know."

"You've got to snap out of this. Do you think he would want you to be this way?"

"No, you're right. But that doesn't change the way I feel. I had hoped he would be back by now, Garrus. I'm worried."

Suddenly there was a three taloned hand on her shoulder.

"He loves you, Shepard. He will come back."

Somehow that made her feel like the turian was saying_ he_ loved her.

"His son comes first, as he should. That doesn't keep me from being lonely and missing him."

"He'll be back, whether he returns or we find him on the Citadel..." He paused. "I could always hunt him down. We found him once."

Shepard laughed. He always liked to hear her laugh.

"Ok, tough guy. Let's go drink. We've got a lot to celebrate before we throw ourselves to the political wolves."

Shepard took his arm and he escorted her to Eternity.

The party was in full swing. Toasts and memories were made, as well as some strong drinks. People were getting drunk fast.

"To Commander Shepard!" someone shouted, probably Ken. "Here! Here!" Glasses clinked and people drank in her honor.

She and Garrus settled into a booth with Tali. The quarrian was just over the line labeled 'tipsy'. She couldn't stop flirting with Garrus, which Shepard found insanely amusing. She didn't have to be drunk to enjoy this! Garrus ordered a round of drinks for their table. Tali's was a placebo. She was cut off and wouldn't know it. Now Garrus was having fun.

"You're awful." She whispered to him.

"Maybe, but you're not stopping me." He grinned back at her. She laughed.

Shepard scanned the room. Grunt and Jack were just drunk. You couldn't really say much else. They were laughing at each other for no apparent reason. Neither had said anything to the other for almost half an hour. Zaeed sat alone with his choice poison, hard vanilla scotch.

"It's as sweet as I look." He told a few people that had been brave enough, or drunk enough, to ask.

Gabby and Ken were dancing, as well as Miranda and Jacob, 'if you can believe that', Shepard thought. Samara and Chakwas were talking with the matriarch bar tender, apparently amused. Kelly was dancing with anyone who would. Joker was watching intently. Garrus thought he was going to loose his mind laughing at all these people. Suddenly Tali grabbed Shepard's arm.

"Let's dance!" and drug her off to the middle of the bar before she could protest.

When Shepard had met Liara she pretty much danced like a dude. Her moves had improved with some help from the asari, but not by much. Luckily she was inebriated enough to not care, which she thought also made her dancing skills improve by being uninhibited.

Shepard's hips swayed with the music. Her movements were fluid and carefree. She seemed to find a rhythm that she had not possessed was something else and something all her own. Garrus had stopped laughing to watch her. He was not the only one.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on her for me." a deep, rumbling voice spoke to Garrus' right. He looked up, a little surprised.

"Just keeping her out of trouble." He responded.

"I see." the drell took a seat.

"When did you get here?"

"Just a few moments ago. Long enough to admire her dancing."

"Yeah, she used to dance like a man, belive it or not." Garrus laughed. "You must have really done a number on her, Krios." Garrus gave him a knowing look. The turian was not normally quite this jovial.

"He must be drunk.'" Thane thought to himself.

"She'll be happy to see you."

"Yes, as I am to see her." Thane smiled lightly at the turian. He returned his gaze to Shepard. The stern look he'd been wearing melted to a more relaxed one. A genuine grin spread across his face.

Shepard was lost in the music. A light breeze blew through the bar when the doors opened. She thought she could smell him, that dry musk she loved so much. She peaked around and confirmed that he was not there. She danced.

An hour later she was sure she'd had too much to drink. The room wouldn't stay still, no matter how hard she tried to make it. Tali had passed out on a sofa. Chakwas had gone back to the ship with several other crew members. Samara had stayed sober to help other get back to the ship that might not make it on their own. She started with Tali. Mordin had not stayed long. Parties weren't his thing.

Shepard slowly made her way back to her booth, one table at a time. She didn't want to look up, afraid the dizziness would make her loose her stomach. Eventually she got there and slid onto the sofa.

"Oh, man. I think I drank too much." She said to Garrus.

"Yes, I believe you have." came the reply. The voice was rumbling like Garrus' did, but it was different. The wording was strange for the turian, as well. And the smell... She looked up as fast as she dared. The world became a blur and she swooned. A cool hand caught her about the shoulders and held her close and steady to a smooth dark surface. Leather. She struggled to focus on the face. At first all she saw was patches of color; red, green and black. She focused long enough to recognize the black polygon on his forehead with the two green freckles.

"Thane...?" She squinted her eyes. His deep black ones stared back at her. He seemed amused. "Mëha? Is that you?"

"It is, Siha. We should get you back to the ship." He said. He helped her up and escorted her as gracefully as he could back to her quarters.

The door to her cabin hissed open. Once they were in the elevator he'd picked her up and carried her in his arms. She had her arms wrapped around hid neck, her head nuzzled into his chest. She was asleep. He took each step carefully. He noticed she'd replaced some of the fish and completed her model ship collection. He slowly placed her on the bed, making sure to disturb her as little as possible. He removed his arms from under her and lifted her own from around his neck, laying them down on the mattress. He watched her sleep for a while then turned to leave.

"Don't go..." she half moaned, half whispered. He turned back to her. Her eyes were still closed. He wondered if she was talking in her sleep. He started to leave again.

".. no... stay, please?" her groggy voice was almost cute. He relented to her half asleep pleas and walked over to the bed. He lay behind her, snaking an arm over her mid section and held her close. He inhaled deeply the floral sent of her hair and the sweet musk of her skin. He drew his hand up to the cut out over her hip. He liked being able to touch the skin there with her fully clothed. There was something... erotic about it. He eventually fell to sleep with his face nuzzled into her hair, breathing her.

The next morning she woke to find him just as he was when sleep took him. It was the first time she'd ever woken up before him. She rolled over in his arms to face him. His expression was so peaceful, almost angelic. She planted a soft kiss on his full lips. It did not stir him. She lay face to face with him as the kiss dried on his lips. She listened to each easy breath he took from the air.

"So, it wasn't a dream," she thought to herself. "He really did come back." She smiled and nuzzled into him under his silvery blue chin. When she woke again his breathing was different. He was awake. He must have noticed her breathing had changed as well.

"Siha, are you well?"

"I'm afraid to move and find out." She groaned. Thane smiled and stroked her hair.

"I think you should go eat something and drink some water." He brought her face to his with his palms spayed on her cheeks. "I need you sober. There are matters we should discuss." He was serious, but happy. There was a perminate grin on his lips.

She showered, alone. Thane was nervous about any un-necessary humidity. The treatments were working, but he didn't see much point in tempting fate. He made the bed and tidied himself. When Shepard emerged from the lavatory she was pleasantly surprised. She'd never get over what a neat freak he was. He'd even laid her civies out for her.

Her moist hair was already braided. He waited patiently for her to dress. Thane smiled as the light from the tanks glinted off the necklace.

"Ok, let's go."

Dinner was the same as it always was, but more casual. No one had duty that day due to the party, so everyone wore their civies that wanted to. Tali and Kelly talked everyone's ear off. Garrus made some sarcastic jokes. The xenophobes sat apart and gave Shepard and Thane strange looks. They ignored them. Thane must have been feeling defiant because he waited for a group of them to be watching to take Shepard's free hand in his. She let him. It was the first time he'd shown physical affection toward her in front of the crew. It was nice to not feel like she had to hide it and be the Commander all the time. Off duty, she should be just Shepard.

Afterward, Thane led Shepard to what had become their den. Orange light filtered in through the Port Observation deck's window as it had the day Thane learned he would live.

They sat on their favorite sofa by the window facing the other two and the (still secret) bar. Thane sat in the corner, resting one arm over the back of the sofa and the other on the arm rest. Shepard curled up next to him and lay her head on his chest. Hearing him breath so easily sounded like soothing music to her. They watched the sun set behind the buildings, back lighting them with violets and vivid yellows. The city lights flickered on. It reminded Shepard of Christmas trees.

"So how did it go with Kolyat." She finally asked.

"Well. He is... adjusting. I think he will be contented in time." Thane sat silent for a while. Shepard was content if they fell asleep on the sofa. "I talked with Kolyat about you."

"Really..." she sighed.

"He remembers you as 'the one who hit him." Thane said.

"I had to stop him, or some one would have ended up shot." She defended.

"I know. I do not hold any anger on the subject. Kolyat realizes his mistake and is thankful you were there... and that it was you who did it."

"Why?"

"If I had done it, he would have been angry with me for more than he already is. If it had been C-Sec that would have only steeled his resolve to fulfill the contract. You wounded his pride, but saved his life. It was the best solution." He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, enjoying the ease with which it came and left. "I told him about us."

Shepard sat strait up. She was quiet for a while then said, "Tell me everything."

"A dozen questions can pour out of her in seconds." He thought to himself.

He laughed at her, looking at her with his onyx eyes. There was not enough light to see the pupils. "He is not angry, but curious what drew me to you, because you are human." He paused for a second, considering her face. "I told him that I believe you are a siha, sent by Arashu. He seemed to agree with me for his own reasons after I told him so. He did not share those reasons." He paused again. She looked surprised by the news. "I told him you saved me from death, from falling to oblivion, about your hand in the treatments and possible cure for Keplar's. I told him you reawakened me." He sat forward and caressed her face, using the hand that was on the arm. His fingers ghosted over the skin of her neck to touch the treasure it bore. "I told him I gave you this." His eyes followed where his fingers had gone then back up to her eyes. "I told him we love one another." A smile touched his lips. "It took him several days... That is one reason I could not return to you sooner."

Shepard leaned back against the sofa. He'd told Kolyat everything with out giving the kid details. She understood his need to be open and honest with his son, but did he have to tell him _everything_? She took a deep breath herself.

"Ok. So, what was the other thing?" She searched his face for a clue and only found a smile, one she did not understand.

He stood, taking her hands in his, and brought her into the last beams of orange light from the sun. With her standing before him, he knelt down onto both knees, his eyes not leaving hers. Keeping his body strait, he brought both her hands to his lips. Eyes closed, he kissed the backs of them.

Her heart was racing, her mind reeled, but she was not nervous or trembling.

Thane lowered her hands so that she could see the whole of his face. He found her eyes with his. "Will you give vows with me, will you let us become bound to each other?"

"Just to be clear, are you asking me to marry you?"

"I am."

Shepard knelt down the same as he had so that she was face to face with him, and kissed his finger tips. She then lowered them as he had done. He was smiling, the one he used when something she did was wrong or awkward that he found endearing when trying to relate to his culture. The fact that she could tell the difference in the subtleties would amaze others.

"When and where." She smiled at him. He embraced her, leaving her hands over his heart. With his nose buried in her neck, he ran a hand down the braid over her back. There were tears of joy streaming down his face when he looked back at her. She a some of her own. They eased a hand onto the other's cheek, kissing each other in the dieing light with tongues that longed for the other.

"How do we do this?" She asked him when they'd finally released each others lips. Thane smiled and looked lovingly into her eyes. He ran a thumb over her cheek.

"We will just have to figure it out." He echoed to her. She smiled.

When the light of day left them in the dark, they held each others naked form, in love and passion.


End file.
